


Never Let Go

by orphan_account, Winchesterek



Series: Zombie Verse [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Hayley Marshall, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Animal Death, Attempted Sexual Assault, BAMF Stiles, Banshee Lydia Martin, Banshee Powers, Barebacking, Biting, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Breeding Kink, Canon-Typical Violence, Children, Christmas, Claiming Bites, Come Eating, Coming Untouched, Crossover, Dirty Talk, Discussion of body disposal after death, Discussion of feelings, Domesticity, Established Relationship, Face-Sitting, Fingering, Future Fic, Gardening, Happy Ending, Hunting, Hybrid Hope Mikaelson, Hybrids, Impaling, Kitchen Sex, Knotting, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, M/M, Marking, Massaging, Mates, Morning Sex, Multiple Orgasms, POV Alternating, Pack Family, Panic Attacks, Paralysis, Presents, Riding, Rimming, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Slow Paced, Stabbing, Stiles and Lydia don't trust strangers, Stiles has no turkey friends, Surrogacy, Sustainable Living, Vampire Caroline Forbes, Vampires, Versatile Derek Hale, Versatile Stiles Stilinski, Vomiting, Xenophilia, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombie Violence, Zombies attack, angry turkeys, attempted non-con, bathing together, dares, full wolf shift derek, injuries, mentions of mpreg, on the road, self-defense killing, shared bath, stranger danger, talk of babies, turkeys hate Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-04-19 10:59:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 84,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4743815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winchesterek/pseuds/Winchesterek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Derek shot his hand out and grabbed Stiles’ wrist.  “Stiles, stop,” he snapped.  He could see someone that he recognized as one of Stiles’ neighbors curled up on the ground in front of the mailboxes. The neighbor’s heartbeat was rabbiting out of control and the smell of blood was coming from him. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"Derek, what -" Stiles turned to look into the lobby and froze. "Oh my god. Tyler!" Stiles darted off towards his neighbor. "What happened?! Fuck. Derek call an ambulance!" Stiles stood there staring, blood everywhere on the floor around his neighbor.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Stiles, don’t touch him,” Derek barked. “He smells sick and you don’t know if it could be contagious.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> -So, Em and I have been wanting to do a Zombie AU forever. And here it is!
> 
> -The story takes place on two timelines: a flashback timeline showing how the incident occurred and how the outbreak spread and the current post-outbreak timeline.
> 
> -TAGS: If you feel that we've missed an important tag, feel free to message either one of us on Tumblr ([Sterekbros](http://sterekbros.tumblr.com/) & [Superfluousemi](http://superfluousemi.tumblr.com/)).
> 
> -If you want to reblog the screencaps & summary on Tumblr [go here](http://sterekbros.tumblr.com/post/129434202886).
> 
> -I wanted to thank ROMI for the awesome art she's made for this fic! [Go on over and leave her some kudos!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8362282) <3333 The art is also embedded in the fic :D
> 
> -You can reblog the art on Tumblr [HERE](http://sterekbros.tumblr.com/tagged/Never-Let-Go).

** **

 

 **\--PART ONE--  
**  

Derek shifted his weight from side to side, trying not to growl at the people in front of him. Getting off the plane and out of the terminal was taking way too long for his liking and his impatience at seeing Stiles was making him grumpy.  It had been four months since he had last visited and Derek was itching to hold Stiles close, listen to his heartbeat and breathe in his scent. Finally, the crowd in front of him parted enough for Derek to worm his way through, and he headed for the meeting spot they had chosen, his footsteps quickening in his excitement.

It didn’t take long for Derek to spot Stiles, in which Stiles took off running towards him with a grin. Stiles leapt onto him, arms wrapping around him and lips crushing against his. 

Derek’s arms went around Stiles’ waist, practically lifting him off the floor in his enthusiasm.  He kissed back as hard as he could, enjoying the noises coming out of Stiles’ mouth. He finally pulled his mouth away and buried his face in Stiles’ neck, inhaling deeply and letting his scent wash over him.  Even though he was across the country from his pack, for the first time in months, he felt home.

“I missed you,” Stiles breathed, hand buried in Derek’s hair as he held him against his neck. “Can't believe you’re finally here.” Stiles clung to Derek, burying his own face against Derek’s shoulder.

“God, I missed you too,” Derek said into Stiles’ throat.  “Every time we’re apart I think it can’t be worse, but somehow it is.”  Derek tightened his hold even more, like he could fuse the two of them together.  “I don’t know how I’ll handle it the next time.”

“Well, you can always stay,” Stiles suggested, turning his face into Derek’s neck to place a kiss there. “Offer’s still open for you to move in with me. I think Scott can live without you for a couple of years until I move back.”

“The pack has only just settled in the past few years,” Derek murmured. “I don’t know if I could leave them without their Alpha.”  He stroked his hands down Stiles’ back.  “But right now, with you in my arms, I’m having a hard time giving a damn about anything besides staying with you.”

“You have all winter break to decide,” Stiles said softly, hugging Derek tighter to him. “At least we have a couple of months together.” He sighed and nuzzled in again before giving Derek’s neck a gentle squeeze. “Should get going. I have dinner at the apartment. I made some pot roast, but I made sure to steam the carrots separately like you prefer.”

Derek felt his mouth watering.  “You know me too well,” he said wryly.  He squeezed Stiles one more time, before letting go and grabbing his hand, lacing their fingers together.  He slung his carry on over his shoulder and rubbed his thumb over the back of Stiles’ hand.  “Let’s go and eat.” He leaned in to whisper in Stiles’ ear.  “And then I’m taking you to bed and showing you what happens after being away from you for four months.”

Stiles laughed softly, stealing a kiss before starting towards the exit. “Yeah, well, I’m planning to spend all week in bed with you unless I have to get out. Or, you know, all winter break. That works for me.” Stiles led Derek out to the Jeep and watched Derek toss his bag into the back. “Good thing you didn't bring too many clothes. You’re not going to need them.”

Derek snorted as he climbed into the passenger side.  “Why am I not surprised that that just came out of your mouth?” He shut the door and turned in his seat to face Stiles, reaching out his hand to run his fingers down Stiles’ cheek, brushing his thumb over his lower lip.  “I know I said it once already, but… I missed you.”

Stiles was smiling brightly. “I missed you too,” he echoed, leaning over to give Derek a tender kiss. After a few moments he pulled away and start up the Jeep. “Still think you should stay for the next forever. I’m completely regretting going to school across the country when it keeps me away from you.”

“College doesn’t last forever, Stiles,” Derek reminded him. “And after you graduate, we’ll have the rest of our lives to spend together.”  Derek’s stomach swooped thinking of the surprise he had been working on for the past year. He couldn’t wait for Stiles to see it when he came home for good. He smiled to himself and settled back in his seat.

“So does that mean you’re going to ask me to marry you in the official human world?” Stiles teased as he drove, glancing over at Derek. “Or are you going to make me do the proposing? Cause the rest of our lives… that’s perfect for me.”

“Now there’s an idea,” Derek said, smirking.  “I like the thought of you proposing to me.”  He cocked an eyebrow.  “After all, I was the one who asked you to be my mate. Seems fair.” 

Stiles tried to give Derek an irritated look, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. “Just wait. It’ll happen when you least expect it. I’ll swoon you. You won't know what to do with yourself.”

Derek threw his head back and laughed.  “I’ll remember that.” 

"You better." Stiles chuckled and turned his attention back to the road. When they pulled up to Stiles’ complex Stiles parked and killed the engine. "We're here. Ready to eat?"

"Yeah, I'm famished." Derek leaned over and bit Stiles lightly on the neck, laughing as he sputtered.  He grabbed his bag and slid out his door, waiting for Stiles.  Maybe it was silly, but Derek wanted close proximity as much as possible.  He assumed it was part of being separated from his mate for such a long period of time.

Stiles tucked himself against Derek and led them to his apartment. "If you wanna put your stuff away I'll get the food," Stiles offered with a kiss.

"Sounds good," Derek replied. He toed off his shoes and walked through Stiles' apartment to the bedroom to drop his bag.  His nostrils flared at the concentrated scent of Stiles and told himself he had enough self-control to not rub his face all over the bed sheets.

“Food’s ready!”

Derek left the bedroom and followed the fantastic smell of Stiles' cooking to find a plate heaped with food. Derek slid his hand around the nape of his neck and drew him in for a kiss.  "This smells great." He sat down and dug in quickly, knowing the sooner he finished, the sooner he could take Stiles to bed.

“Yeah, well, it tastes even better,” Stiles chuckled and took his seat across from Derek. “You’re gonna choke on it if you don't slow down.” Stiles ate some pot roast and moaned softly. “I don't cook this often enough. I only cook it for you, you know.”

Derek looked up, surprised. He chewed the massive mouthful he had and swallowed. "Really?" He felt a little silly the way his heart swelled at the admission.  Derek wasn't sure he'd ever get used to people doing things for him, just to make him happy.

“Yeah,” Stiles said and smiled at Derek. “How am I going to eat all this by myself? It takes like three hours to get the meat just right. If I cooked this regularly I’d starve to death,” he teased. “Plus, I like doing this for you.”

Derek couldn't help it. At the earnest sincerity in Stiles' voice, he reached out and clasped Stiles' face in his hands, kissing him soundly. 

Stiles leaned into the kiss. “I love you, you know that?” he said softly. “I just want to make you happy. To be a good mate to you.”

"You do that just by being you," Derek said softly.  "I love you so much."  He leaned in and kissed Stiles again. "Now, can we finish eating your delicious food, so I can take you to bed and keep you wrapped up in my arms?"

“Yeah, we can,” Stiles said, a flush on his cheeks. “Plus, I slaved away on all this delicious food so you better enjoy it and not just scarf it down.”

Derek smiled sheepishly, properly chastened.  He started taking slower bites, savoring the tenderness of the meat and enjoying the contentment that always came when he was around Stiles for an extended period. He intended to enjoy every moment of their time together.

When they were done, Stiles gathered the plates and put them in the sink for tomorrow’s dishes and dragged Derek off to the bedroom. He pulled him in close, kissing him deeply, hands working at Derek’s clothes to strip him down. “There should be a no clothes rule for your visit. Clothes are bad, bad things. I want you naked all the time. Just for me.”

"As long as it goes both ways," Derek said, smirking. "It's been too long since I've been able to look my fill." He pulled Stiles' shirt off and dragged his nails down the length of leanly muscled chest before dropping his hand to the front of Stiles' pants and squeezing gently.

“No clothes for either of us,” Stiles agreed, groaning against Derek’s lips as he kissed him. When Stiles reached the bed, he kicked out of his jeans before stripping Derek. “Totally not ashamed to say I bought a huge bottle of lube yesterday.” Stiles laughed, crawling into bed and pulling Derek in with him. “C’mere.”

Derek laughed into Stiles' neck. "Hey, preparedness is sexy." He started rubbing his face against Stiles' neck, enjoying the way his skin pinked up so beautifully.  Already, he could feel their scents mingling, and he rumbled with happiness. Starting to feel a little frantic, he rolled his hips with purpose, rubbing the hard lengths of their dicks together.

Stiles groaned, trying to rock his hips against Derek's. "I'm always sexy then," Stiles mumbled, turning his chin up to bare his neck to Derek. "Need you to mark me up. Been too long. Need you to breed me tonight."

Derek growled, his hands tightening convulsively around Stiles' biceps. Without preamble, he sunk his teeth into the pale expanse of skin Stiles was offering and worried at it, moaning with delight.  He pulled his mouth off with a wet pop and hummed in satisfaction before slithering down Stiles' body and licking a long, wet stripe up his cock.

“Ohhh, fuck,” Stiles moaned, raising his hips. “You’re such a fucking tease,” he panted, moving a hand into Derek’s hair, rocking up against his face.

"Am I?" Derek hummed, before nuzzling at Stiles' balls and sucking one into his mouth.  He held Stiles' shifting hips down with his hands and moved on to running his tongue over Stiles' sac and perineum, enjoying the noises tumbling from his mate’s lips.

Stiles whined in the back of his throat, trying to shift his hips to get more, but only ended up writhing on the bed, hands clutching at Derek’s hair and hands, clawing at him desperately. “God, please Derek. Need you to lick me open.”

"Mmm, yeah," Derek replied and effortlessly flipped Stiles onto his stomach, pulling him up by the hips so his ass was in the air.  He spread open his cheeks and drew his tongue from Stiles' balls to up and across his hole.

Stiles groaned softly, pressing his ass back against Derek. “Fuck. Been so long,” he whimpered, twisting his hands into the bed sheets. “Missed feeling you like this.”

Derek pressed a kiss at the base of Stiles' spine.  "I'm here, I've got you." He ran his hand up the length of Stiles' back, hungry for the feeling of his skin.  He pressed his face back against Stiles, nuzzling and licking, feeling him start to open up for his tongue.  He couldn't wait to bury himself in that tight heat after so long without it.

Soft sounds left Stiles’ mouth with each lick over his hole, each suck against sensitive flesh and he whined softly as he tried to rock back onto Derek’s face. “Derek,” he breathed, arching his back and burying his face against the bed. “God, please. I need you. I need -” As Derek’s tongue flicked over Stiles’ hole again, follow by Derek’s lips closing on his hole and sucking, Stiles let out another desperate whine and shuddered.

Derek could have stayed with his face buried against Stiles' ass forever, but his own cock was now nearly a torturous throb between his legs, leaking and dripping onto the bedspread.  He set his teeth against the swell of one butt cheek and bit down gently. "So, where's this giant bottle of lube you spoke of?" As he said it, he traced one dry finger against the sloppy wetness of Stiles' hole, gently pushing in the tip and tugging at the rim.

“Nightstand drawer,” Stiles groaned, rocking back against Derek’s finger. “I think I can reach it.”

Derek kept up the movements of his finger as Stiles flailed in the direction of the nightstand, pulling a massive bottle out of it.  He laughed against Stiles' skin.  "Wow, you weren't kidding, were you?" He took the bottle and drew his finger out slowly, before popping open the cap and drizzling the lube on it.

“Hey, we’re gonna need it,” Stiles said with a laugh, looking over his shoulder. “Plus, I’m going to be taking your knot all winter. We’ll probably need another bottle,” he teased, licking his lips and pressing back against the slick fingers that rubbed over his hole. Stiles dropped his head against the bed with the first press of Derek’s finger into his hole, giving a sound of approval. “Gimme another finger. Wanna feel full while you open me up.”

Derek greedily took in the sight of his fingers being swallowed up by the tight clutch of Stiles’ body.  It was only a few minutes before he had three fingers steadily pumping in and out, nudging against Stiles’ prostate, determined to wring noises out of his mate. All of his senses felt sharpened and he wanted to surround himself with Stiles, his scent, his voice, his taste. Derek fisted his cock, spreading lube on it as asked Stiles, “Think you can take all of me now?” He pulled his fingers free and nudged the head of his cock against Stiles’ hole, barely pushing forward.

“Yeah, god, yeah. Please.” Stiles wiggled back against Derek’s dick, presenting his ass perfectly for his mate. “Get the fuck in me and knot me,” Stiles whined.

Derek slid his hips forward, the slow glide into Stiles making him groan. He bottomed out and rested for a moment, his hips pressed flush against Stiles’ ass. Finally being back where he belonged was overwhelming and he curled his body over Stiles, resting his forehead against Stiles’ back and pressing kisses to the knobs of his spine. When Stiles started wriggling his hips, Derek pulled out and thrust back into him in one smooth motion.

“God, Derek,” Stiles breathed, reaching a hand back to grip Derek’s thigh as if he could pull him tighter against his body.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Derek groaned, digging his fingers into Stiles’ hips as he found his rhythm.  The sound of their skin slapping together and the moans and praise spilling from Stiles’ lips only spurred him on, trying to bury himself as deep inside as he could.

Stiles was only able to groan and clutch to Derek, digging blunt nails into Derek’s skin. He was a panting, whining mess as Derek shoved in and ground against him, Stiles’ fingers twisting into the bed sheets. “God, yeah. Fuck. Wanna come on your knot Derek.”

Derek growled and leaned forward, sliding his arms under Stiles’ chest and hauling him upright, letting his weight bring him even further down on Derek’s cock. “Can’t wait until I’m locked inside you,” Derek huffed into Stiles’ neck.  “It’s going to feel so perfect.”  He snapped his hips sharply upwards, hooking his chin over Stiles’ shoulder and watching his cock bouncing, slapping against his stomach. Derek slid one of his hands down and started jerking Stiles’ off and sunk his teeth into the side of his neck.

Stiles moaned loudly. “Oh, god, ohhh, fuckfuck. I’m gonna -” Stiles came hard over Derek’s fist. “DerekDerek, ohhfuck! Don't stop,” he panted, grinding back hard against Derek’s hips.

Derek growled in satisfaction as Stiles came, his ass clenching around Derek’s cock. He shoved in as deeply as he could, feeling the base of his dick swelling rapidly.  He circled his hips and continued stroking Stiles, not slowing the pace of his hand.  He took his mouth off Stiles’ neck and gasped, “Fuck, Stiles, I’m coming.” His knot had swelled to its full size and the pressure of Stiles’ squeezing him was too much. Derek’s cock spasmed and he emptied himself inside Stiles, moaning loudly in relief.

Stiles echoed Derek, squeezing tighter around his knot and clutching at the back of Derek’s neck. “Fuck, I love you,” Stiles muttered, twisting to give Derek a sloppy kiss. “I love you so much.” Stiles ground back against Derek’s hips to milk his knot for more come.

Derek moaned into Stiles’ mouth, swiping his tongue across Stiles’ lips. “God, I love you too,” he whimpered as spasm after spasm of pleasure swept through him. “Never leave me,” he murmured, rubbing his cheek against Stiles’ neck. As Stiles came down, Derek slowly laid them down on the bed on their sides, his hips still jerking as he intermittently pulsed come into Stiles’ body. He shuddered with each aftershock, the pleasure seeming to go on forever.

“I’ll never leave you,” Stiles promised, pulling Derek’s arm tighter around him. “No matter what. You’re my mate.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Derek murmured sleepily into Stiles’ hair. He tightened his hold when Stiles’ pulled his arm.  “Never going to let you go.”  Every muscle in Derek’s body felt relaxed and at peace.  He breathed in Stiles’ scent and let himself start to drift towards sleep, still locked snugly in his mate’s body.

“Better not,” Stiles mumbled, holding Derek’s arms around him as they drifted off to sleep.

***

_Easton, Pennsylvania, near I-78_

Muffled sounds caused Stiles to stir and he shifted, pulling his blanket more over him until he heard a low growl. Stiles jerked awake, sitting up quickly and reaching out for Derek, only to find the space next to him empty. “Derek?” he whispered loudly, trying to be quiet in the darkness. “What is it?”

Derek whispered around his fangs,  “Quiet. Listen.”

Stiles was unable to concentrate as sighed and ran a hand over his face, cringing at the roughness of the dirt caked onto his skin. He really needed a shower. His brain was still foggy from the memory of his dream around the edge of his consciousness. It made his chest ache, thinking about how things used to be and how he felt like he’d taken those precious moments for granted while they’d had them. While things had been peaceful and the only hectic part of his life was the research paper he couldn't finish because the only thing he wanted to do was climb into bed with Derek and ride his knot until he couldn't move anymore. He looked up and strained his hearing when a sound startled him again in the distance. He jumped at the sound of gunshots and the not too distant screams that followed. “That’s close.”

Derek climbed out the windshield of the destroyed car that they’d taken shelter in that night.  It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it had threatened to rain earlier, and with how miserable their lives were, they hadn’t wanted to add to it by getting drenched as they tried to sleep.  He crouched on the hood and tilted his head to the side, focusing on the racket. “A half mile away,” he said quietly.  “Maybe less.” Derek growled lowly again as his vision bled red. Every muscle was tense as he continuously scanned their surroundings.

“Maybe we should leave,” Stiles said quietly as he followed Derek outside. “Maybe we should get further away. If they’re that close then they could be here at any moment. We should go. With that much blood in the area if those people didn't survive…” Stiles shook his head and grabbed his blanket and bag from the car, shoving the blanket inside before he grabbed his katana. “You can see in the darkness. I can follow you. It’s not like there’s light here anyway near the car.”

Derek reached his hand out and grabbed Stiles’ wrist.  “Stiles, wait,” he said firmly.  “I can see in the dark, yes, but you still can’t. It won’t do us any good to have you running around blind.”  He swung his head around in all directions, looking for any movement. He tugged Stiles’ wrist until he was crouched next to him on the hood.  “It sounds like they’re moving off.”  The gunshots and screaming had stopped. Stiles opened his mouth and Derek rested his fingers against his lips and shushed him. “I think we should stay here until daylight.”

Stiles looked at Derek, even though he couldn't see him that well in the dark despite their close proximity. “You think it’s safe enough?” he asked quietly, looking out into the blackness around them. Stiles couldn't see anything. He could barely see his hand in front of his face. Everything was so different now with how quickly the world had changed around them. “Maybe we should find a tree.” Even if he wouldn't be able to see well enough to climb it without hurting himself.

"A tree's a good idea, in theory," Derek said. "But you're exhausted. What happens if you fall out and break your leg?" He put his hands on Stiles' shoulders. "I can heal a broken bone... you can't." He leaned his forehead against Stiles'. “I won't let anything happen to you," Derek promised, kissing him gently.

Stiles snorted a laugh against Derek’s lips. “Your breath stinks,” he teased, knowing his smelled just as bad. He kissed Derek back anyway, knowing there was no way to escape how dirty either of them were with the life on the road they’d been leading. Stiles pulled away and grabbed his bag, digging around inside of it. He pulled out a shiny wrapper with a grin. “Last piece.” Stiles tore it in half and handed half the gum to Derek before shoving his own into his mouth and leaned against Derek with a sigh. “Not like we’re getting any sleep tonight.”

Derek took the offered gum with a smile and popped it in his mouth then settled down further on the hood and huffed.  He looked up at the moon, which was barely a sliver of light.  "It's only a few hours until sunrise," said, wrapping his arm around Stiles' shoulder.  "And then we can hit the road again."

“Maybe we’ll find a car in the next town we go through,” Stiles said hopefully, trying not to think about how he’d lost the Jeep. “Don't think we’re going to be able to walk all the way across country.” He chewed his gum quietly, sighing and closing his eyes even though he knew he’d never be able to fall back asleep. Having Derek’s arm around him made Stiles feel safer, though. Even if they both knew they weren't, especially out in the open near the road on a car.

"Yeah, I doubt it," Derek said, voice dry.  He scooted closer to Stiles and tightened his arm around him. "We'll figure it out." There came a shuffling noise nearby and Derek whipped his head around. He felt Stiles inhale sharply. After a moment Derek said, "It's just an animal."

Stiles sighed and relaxed against Derek again, heart pounding. He looked over in the direction of where the noise had come from. “Is it still there? Go get it so we can eat it,” he said, poking Derek’s side. “Unless you think you’ll crunch around too loudly that the Infected will hear us.” As if on cue, Stiles’ stomach growled. “I wasn't talking to you,” he said as he looked down at his stomach. “No one asked for your opinion, stomach.”

"It's gone," Derek said. "And I'm not leaving you here to chase after it." He reached through the windshield and grabbed his backpack. He lifted the flap and rummaged inside, pulling out a power bar and pressing it into Stiles' hand. "Best we can do right now." Derek leaned his forehead against Stiles' temple and sighed.

"We should save it," Stiles said quietly and gave it back to Derek before closing his eyes and nuzzling against him. "Can eat it in the morning." Stiles turned onto his side before tucking himself against Derek's chest. "And maybe tomorrow we can catch something."

Derek dropped the power bar back into his bag and put his arms around Stiles. “Try to sleep,” he murmured, “I’ll wake you when it’s light and we’ll try to find something.”

“Okay,” Stiles mumbled, wrapping his arm around Derek to hold him tight. “Love you,” he said softly, trying to let Derek’s scent lull him back to sleep, despite how filthy they both were.

Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles’ matted hair.  “Love you too,” he whispered.  “So much.” 

It was going to be another long few hours until dawn.

***

Stiles groaned as he woke and buried his face against Derek’s chest. “How long was I out?” he asked, turning his face up after a few moments to nuzzle against Derek’s cheek.

Derek shifted a little, the car’s hood creaking as he stroked Stiles’ back. “About three hours,” he said.  “Dawn will be here in less than an hour.” 

“You should try to sleep,” Stiles said, tightening his arm around Derek. “I’ll stay up. Don't need you dead on your feet all day today.”

Derek scrubbed a hand over his face, his beard rough on his palm.  “I’ll try,” he muttered.  “As long as you get in the car with me.”

“I’ll get in the car with you,” Stiles assured him, moving to sit up and stretch. “Come on wolf man. I’ll follow you in.” Stiles tossed his bag through the windshield and waited for Derek to crawl in before handing him his katana and followed in after him.

Derek climbed over the front seat and dropped into the larger back, flecks of dried blood and dirt dropping off his clothes.  He laid his head back and held his arm out for Stiles, trying to relax enough to sleep.

Stiles moved into the seat next to him, Derek wrapping his arms around him. “I’ll protect you,” Stiles said with a small smile, pulling his katana into the backseat with them and propping it up next to him in the open space. “Get some sleep.” He gave Derek a gentle kiss and rubbed Derek’s thigh. “I’ll wake you in a little bit.”

“One hour,” Derek mumbled, his eyelids already falling shut.  “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today, if we want to make it out of the city.”  He turned his head so his face was pointed at Stiles’ neck and he could breathe him in. Under the dirt and grime, there was still the comforting natural scent of him there to help lull Derek into sleep.  
  
~

Sometime later Derek grumbled as a hand shook his shoulder gently. His eyes slowly opened and he saw Stiles’ dirt smeared face peering down at him. He smiled, despite everything, even as his ears picked up a faint shuffling near by.  “Are you ready for a long day?” Derek asked, his voice rough from sleep.

"Yeah." Stiles smiled and have him a quick peck on the lips. "But I have to kill this Infected before we start walking." Stiles sighed and glanced out the window. An Infected was shuffling around the car, drawn to the sound of their voices. "Get our bags," Stiles said as he grabbed his katana and crawled out of the car.

Any residual tiredness evaporated instantly.  "Stiles, wait," Derek said, but he was already out of the car.

Stiles pulled his katana out of its sheath as the Infected shuffled up to him. It didn't take Stiles long to lob it's head off before it got too close. "At least it was only one," Stiles said, wiping the blood off on his jeans.

Derek paused, hanging halfway out of the car.  He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to seeing Stiles wielding that sword so gracefully and self-assured.  He hefted himself out of the windshield and cursed as a piece of glass sliced his palm.  He held his hand still as the skin knitted back together and then wiped his hand on his thigh. "Starting the day with matching fresh bloodstains," Derek groused.  "I'm sure that's a great sign."

"Well at least you can't get an infection," Stiles pointed out, taking his bag from Derek when it was handed to him. "You know if you want to sleep a little longer we can find a place in town. Maybe a bed. Might be a motel around here."

Derek shook his head.  All of his instincts were on high alert now, thanks to the Infected Stiles had killed. "No way am I going to be able to fall back asleep." He dug in his bag and pulled out a map of the town. "We need to get started on this list of supplies, see what we can find." Derek looked up at Stiles, raising his eyebrows. "If we're going to make it on foot even a small way, that is."

"Yeah, okay. We can probably find most of the stuff in town, but there will probably be a lot of Infected around." Stiles sighed. "And I want to make sure we hit any pharmacies to check for supplies."

Derek consulted the map and pulled out a small notebook to scribble down some notes. "It looks like the nearest Walgreens is about one mile north of us." He ran his finger along the route.  "We could start there."

"Mile isn't too far." Stiles sheathed his katana and slung the strap over his head before shouldering his bag. "Whenever we head out of town I'll set some traps. Maybe we can have some meat for dinner."

Derek was desperate for fresh meat, his stomach rumbling just at the thought of it. "Here's hoping," he said, slinging his own bag over his shoulder.  He caught Stiles' hand and laced their fingers together before starting off down the road, the buildings around them silent and imposing. After ten minutes of walking, they were still undisturbed but Derek felt as tightly coiled as a spring. He was casting his eyes about when he spotted a sign that peaked his interest.  He tugged Stiles' arm and pointed.

Stiles wasn't sure what he was looking for as he searched the area Derek was pointing and then spotted the battered sporting goods store sign. "Nice. Think I might get me some fresh clothes," Stiles said excitedly. "And maybe we can find a tent if it's not too picked over."

"It's definitely worth a look," Derek agreed.  They hurried to the front of the store and peered through the windows. Even though some of the shelves and racks were toppled, it looked like they were still pretty full.  Derek put a finger to his lips and carefully pulled open the door. He sniffed but couldn't smell either unwashed humans or the distinctive odor of the Infected. He beckoned Stiles after him and entered the store. 

Once they were inside, Stiles followed Derek, surveying the store and left over supplies. Stiles stopped at the first rack of men's clothes and looked through the shirts until he found one that looked like it might fit Derek. "This might fit you," he said, tossing it to Derek then finding one for himself.

Wasting no time, Derek stripped the grimy shirt off and pulled the new one on. It didn’t feel the greatest on his dirty body, but was infinitely better than the one he’d had. He looked around and spotted an aisle for backpacks and camping bags.  “I’m going to check those out,” he told Stiles, pointing.

"Yeah, okay," Stiles nodded, gathering a few more pieces of clothes and shoved them into his bag. Stiles grabbed socks and ponchos and random things on his way to the aisle Derek had disappeared into. "Find anything?" he asked, already looking over the backpacks.

Derek lifted up one of the largest packs that the store had. “I think I can fit a good amount in this.” He inspected it more. “Looks like most of their bags have a place to strap a sleeping bag, and if we can find a collapsible tent, we might be a little more comfortable once we’re out in the country.” Derek continued scanning, but couldn’t find another bag any bigger. “It should have room for a decent amount of food and medical supplies as well. Outside the city, we’ll start hunting, but I still want a store of canned goods for backup.”

"Good thing you have supernatural strength to carry that bag if you're filling it up with cans. My human back gives a protest," Stiles said with a chuckle and grabbed a bag that was larger than his, had a frame on it and support straps that would close both over his chest and hips to help him carry it. "Looks like I can put a sleeping bag on this one." He squatted down and opened it up, starting to quickly and efficiently transfer his stuff over. "Have anything you want me to carry for you?"

“Honestly, I think we should split most of the stuff up in our bags, so if we lost one somehow, we’re not without food or medical supplies or whatever,” Derek said, dropping the meager things he had in his backpack into the pockets of his larger bag. “We each carry our own sleeping bag, I’ll carry the tent, and we divide up food, clothes and medical supplies.”  He finished and tossed his empty backpack onto the floor. “We can just load mine up more.”

"Okay. Well I got some clothes and stuff back there. I can put some in your bag," Stiles said, taking some back out of his pack and put into Derek's. "I was going to check to see if they had any fire starters and weather proof matches. Maybe a little camping pot that we can use for water. Collapsible water bottles. Basic stuff. You want me to look for anything else while you're getting the tent?"

“Equipment for fishing might not be a bad idea,” Derek said after a moment. “Nothing too elaborate, but it’s a good idea to keep our diet as varied as possible. We should make sure to pick up any vitamins we can find too, to help with nutrient deficiencies.” He stood up and shouldered his new pack. “I’ll try to find a tent. Don’t get too far away. Let’s try to stay in each other’s line of sight.”

Stiles nodded. "I'll try to be quick." He gave Derek a brief kiss and hurried off to find the fishing supplies.

On his way to find a tent, Derek passed a row with hiking boots.  His own shoes were getting pretty worn, so he walked down the aisle.  He grabbed a pair in his and Stiles’ sizes and shoved them in the bag so they could try them on later.  He came to the tents, most of which hadn’t been picked over.  Derek pulled a few down, picking a small two-person tent. Not that nylon would be much defense against an Infected, but he could count on his senses to alert him to something coming close long before they touched it.  And at least they’d stay dry.  He turned and saw Stiles’ still stuffing items into his bag, and headed his way.

Stiles jumped at the movement to his right, hand on his katana before he sighed and relaxed when he saw it was Derek. "Sorry," he muttered. "Stomp your feet when you're coming up to me or something." Stiles let his katana slide back into its place and turned back to the shelf. "I got us a hand full of fire starters and lots of weatherproof matches and -" He picked up a tube and showed it to Derek. "Apparently it's supposed to help start fire." He shrugged and tossed it into his bag then grabbed a stainless steel camping pot. “I also got fishing supplies.”

“Sorry,” Derek said, blushing. “I grabbed some hiking boots for you.” He pulled them out and showed them to Stiles.  “Is there anything else we need before we go on?"

Stiles looked at the boots appreciatively and took them, then handed Derek collapsible fishing poles. He shoved the boots into his bag. "I don't know," he sighed. "I feel like there’s always something we could be missing. Maybe we should just do one more walk through?"

“Sounds good to me,” Derek agreed.  “Just see if anything catches our eye.”  They made a quick pass through the store, but nothing jumped out beyond what they already had.  Derek opened the door and squinted against the sunlight.  The town itself was still quiet, but the silence just kept making him uneasy. He gestured down the road, “Just a few more blocks to the nearest Walgreens.  Hopefully we’ll find food there, along with the medicine.”

Stiles nodded, following Derek the few blocks to the drug store. "Ready when you are," Stiles said with a jerk of his chin to the Walgreens door.

Derek opened the door and his heart sank.  The inside was a complete disaster; the floor was almost completely covered with products, shelves were tipped over and broken lights were hanging from the ceiling.  He looked at Stiles and sighed, “This is going to be fun.”

"Isn't it always," Stiles said, echoing Derek's sigh as he pulled out his katana. There was no way there wasn't at least one Infected in there with how wrecked the place was. "Let's go straight for the medicine. If we have to we can get food somewhere else."

Derek started picking his way through the mess, wincing as glass bottles broke under his feet. The noise sounded deafening to his ears. The pharmacy was tucked away in the back corner.  As they passed the food aisles, Derek was pleased to see quite a few canned goods in the mess on the floor. He nudged Stiles and raised his eyebrows.  “On our way out,” he whispered.  Once they reached the pharmacy counter, Derek easily vaulted it and landed on spilled bottles and pills. “What a mess,” he grumbled.

"Welcome to the apocalypse." Stiles climbed over the counter less gracefully than Derek had jumped it, frowning at the crunch under his feet. "We should see if they have any antibiotics. Hopefully they have some Adderall," Stiles said and started looking through the bottles on the shelf.

“Pain medication too,” Derek added, picking up bottles and tossing them back down again. Every few minutes, they’d find something usable and drop in their bags.  Suddenly, Derek’s ears twitched when he heard the sound of heartbeats. He tapped Stiles on the shoulder and put his fingers to his lips.

Stiles froze, then tried to crouch down and winced when junk under his foot moved.

Derek stood and moved towards the sounds, every muscle tensed. The closest heartbeat was only a few feet away now. Derek paused and swung himself around one of the shelves, grabbing a man by the neck and throwing him against the wall. “What do you want?” he growled, holding the stranger by the throat. The man dropped the bow he’d been holding and grabbed for Derek’s hands, trying to pull them off.

A gun clicked behind Derek and a guy said, "Let him go and give us your stuff and you won't get a back full of lead."

Derek felt his eyes bleeding red.  The guy he had by the throat looked horrified. Derek threw him to the side and spun around, jerking as the gun fired and he took a round to the shoulder. He roared, fangs lengthening. The gunman cursed and backpedaled, falling on his ass on the floor. “What are you?” he gasped.

“Someone you don’t want to try to mess with again,” Derek said flatly, kicking the gun towards Stiles. “Get out of here before I rip your throat out.”

Stiles picked up the gun as both men scramble off, sprinting out of the store. "Dammit," he said, hurrying over to Derek to look at his shoulder. "At least it wasn't to the face," Stiles grumbled. "We need to clean this before it heals too much and get the damn buckshot out."

Derek pulled his shirt off. “This lasted all of thirty minutes,” he muttered, dropping it on the floor. He flicked his claws out and started slicing open the skin that was already healed, plucking out bits of buckshot with the tips. He worked steadily, teeth gritted against the pain, rivulets of blood running down his hand and arm.

"Never mind, I'll go look for supplies while you dig it out," Stiles said with frustration in his tone and took the gun, going back to grab his bag from the pharmacy.

“Stiles, wait,” Derek said, reaching his clean hand out to grab his sleeve. “Who knows how many men they have around here.  We need to get this done fast and get the fuck out.”  He looked down at his shoulder and rotated it.  He could still feel bits of shot grinding in it, but the pain didn’t inhibit his movement.  “I’ve got enough for now, you can cut the rest out of me when we’re away from here.”  He picked up his bag.  “I say we grab enough food for a few days and not press our luck.” 

"Just take the rest out. It'll be harder when it heals up all the way. If I see any of their buddies I'll make sure to shoot them." Stiles headed down an aisle. "You get the food and I'll get things humans need. Like bandages and disinfectants."

Derek knew better than to argue with Stiles when he had set his mind on something. He sighed and said, “Fine.” He resumed digging in his shoulder, moving as quickly as he could, listening for any new sounds. With the final pieces out, he picked up his ruined shirt and wiped as much blood off his chest as he could, before jumping the counter with his bag and heading for Stiles.

Stiles was throwing what little first aid supplies he found in his bag along with a single discarded bar of soap and other personal products that were laying around as Derek walked down the aisle towards him. "Did you get food?" Stiles asked.

“Food’s that way,” Derek said, not breaking stride as he moved past Stiles. “I have a feeling it’s going to be mostly off-brand beef stew, but beggars can’t be choosers.” He started kicking through the mess in the food aisle, avoiding the freezer section where there was melted ice cream all over the floor.  He found a decent number of canned foods and was pleased to find quite a bit of fruit.  He loaded his bag with as much as he could lift and made a pile for Stiles to put in his. Afterwards, he found a rack of plain t-shirts and found one his size, pulling it on.  

Stiles didn't say anything as he put the designated pile of food in his bag and strapped it on his back. He pulled the strap of his katana over his shoulder, shoving the gun at Derek as he walked by him.

Derek caught the gun, bewildered.

Stiles snagged the discarded bow from the floor on their way out. "So where are you taking us now? Any more stops?"

“I’m not sure.” Derek strode faster to keep up with Stiles, who was practically power walking.  “What’s your deal?”

"What's my deal?" Stiles asked with a brief glare in Derek's direction. "You know what, I don't even want to talk about it. I just want to get the hell out of here."

Derek threw up his hands and grabbed Stiles’ shirt. “Dammit, Stiles, stop,” he said. “Be pissed at me for whatever it is, but we’re not putting our lives in danger.” He looked at Stiles seriously. “I refuse to lose you. And if I recall correctly, you once told me I never would.”

"News flash! It's not safe anywhere anymore Derek. And yes, I'm pissed at you. But unless you want me to yell at you in the middle of the street and attract all kinds of attention to us, we're leaving. Somewhere out of town, unless we need to get anything else."

“I agree, yelling at each other in town is probably not the best idea,” Derek said. “But at least leaving town in the right direction is. You’re heading north. We need to go west.” He pointed down one of the side streets. “Once we’re out of town, will you at least tell me what I did wrong?”

Stiles glared down the street Derek was pointing him in and started off west. "I don't want to talk right now."

Derek shook his head, following after Stiles, adjusting the straps on his bag and pulling his map out of the pocket of his jeans.  He looked at the area and saw they could make a good distance out of town if they kept up a decent pace. By heading directly west, they’d avoid most towns and keep mostly to woods and fields, at least for the next fifty miles or so. And it looked like there were a good number of lakes and rivers in the vicinity to replenish their water supplies. Derek pocketed the map and kept walking, keeping a respectful distance from Stiles.


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later they stopped by a stream and Stiles sighed, moving to sit on a log and continued to ignore Derek. Just like he had the last few hours. Stiles glared at his stomach when it growled and he set his katana and bow aside before taking his pack off and opening it to see what food he had.

Derek dropped his bag next to Stiles and went to relieve himself against a tree. He tucked himself back in his pants and splashed his hands in the stream for a minute.  Derek glanced back over his shoulder where Stiles munching on a granola bar and pointedly not looking at him.  Derek stood up and wiped his wet hands on his thighs and moved to hunker down in front of Stiles.  “Are you ready to talk to me yet?” he asked quietly.

"No," Stiles said around a mouthful of granola, still not looking at Derek. "Because you're a jerk."

“Okay,” Derek said, drawing the word out.  “Can you at least tell me why I’m a jerk?”

"No." Stiles shoved more granola in his mouth and chewed slowly so he wouldn't have to say anything and still didn't look at Derek. After a few minutes of silence he finally glared at Derek directly. "What the hell do you think is going to happen to me when you die?" He asked, throwing his wrapper at Derek.

Derek wrinkled his brow in confusion. “Who says I’m going to die?”

"You got shot today Derek! You're lucky it hit you in the shoulder! And then you wouldn't even let me take care of you." Stiles stood up and shook his head. "You're not invincible."

Derek stood up too, putting his hands on Stiles’ shoulders. “I know I’m not invincible, but Stiles… at least if I get shot, I heal right away. I’ll take a few bullets if it means protecting you.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “And I’m sorry I didn’t let you take care of it afterwards.  For so much of my past, I’ve had no one to help me. I didn’t think.”

"Well you should," Stiles said, turning back to look at Derek. "Because if you would've gotten shot in the face or the chest you wouldn't be able to heal from that. You could've died today and what the hell would I have done? Watch you die while they take our stuff?" Stiles ran a hand over his face, shaking his head. "We can get more stuff. We can always get more stuff, Derek."

“Stiles, I’ve literally been impaled on a pipe and healed from that,” Derek pointed out. “I know a head shot could take me down, but by that point, I had to do something.”  He turned and sat down on the log.  “Besides, what makes you think they wouldn’t have shot us anyway after taking our things?”  He looked up at Stiles.  “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.  You’re all I have left and if I don’t protect you…” Derek dropped his face into his hands again.  “I don’t know how much is human me and how much is instinct,” he mumbled, “but you’re my mate. I’ve never felt the urge to protect as badly as I do now with you.”

"And you think I don't feel the exact same way as you?" Stiles asked with a sigh. "Yeah okay, so I'm human. I can't heal and be a supernatural bad ass but I still want to protect you and take care of you. And if I can't protect you and you won't let me take care of you, then what? I'm just dead weight that you're keeping alive. I'm not helpless."

“I never said you were helpless,” Derek replied.  “In fact, you’re about as far from helpless as a human can get. You’ve saved more than one ‘supernatural bad ass’ and I’m sure you’ll do it again.” Derek took hold of Stiles’ hand and tugged him down.  “Everything that’s happened… it’s got us both on edge. And I’m sorry I’ve made you feel this way.”  He cupped Stiles’ face in one hand, rubbing his thumb along Stiles’ cheekbone.  “You’re strong, you’re capable; I know that. And I know I can’t shield you from everything, no matter how much I want to and how terrifying I find the thought of you in danger.”

"It's not safe anywhere anymore," Stiles said, repeating what he'd said earlier. "And I can't lose you. If I do -" Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek, burying his face against Derek's shoulder.

Derek clung onto Stiles a little desperately, taking deep, shuddering breaths. "We're both messes, aren't we?"

"I guess that's what happens when you lose everyone," Stiles sniffled, holding Derek tighter.

Derek just breathed and held Stiles.  "Not you. Never losing you."

"Better not lose you either," Stiles mumbled against Derek. "Ever."

After a while, Stiles loosened his hold on Derek long enough to draw away and give him a kiss. "Should try to get that tent up before it gets dark. It's been quiet enough... Maybe we can wash up in the stream."

"Tent first, then wash up?" Derek asked, running his hands down Stiles' back.

Stiles nodded. "Think you need help putting it up? I can work on getting us a fire going if you don't need help wrangling tent poles," he teased.

"Pretty sure I can handle it," Derek grumbled, but his Iips quirked up in a small smile.  In the end, it took Derek less than ten minutes, and he shot a smug grin Stiles' way.

Stiles gave Derek an irritated look in response to the smug one on Derek's face as Stiles finished digging the second hole for their fire. "Cheating with werewolf speed!" Stiles started digging the tunnel to connect the two holes and it took him at least another ten to fifteen minutes to gather stuff and get their fire started.

"That is not cheating," Derek laughed.  He dug out two cans of food for their meal.  "Wash up now, or after we eat?"

"After we eat," Stiles said as he got his pot and smiled at Derek. "How do you feel about having a warm dinner for once?" Stiles wiggled the pot and got a thick branch to put it through the handle to put the pot in the hole over the fire. "Hand over the cans."

"Sounds great," Derek admitted, tossing the cans to Stiles. He stood up and looked around.  They were in a small clearing, but the trees were thick around it.  "I'm going to do a quick perimeter sweep, see if I can catch any scents, see if we'll be in for company anytime soon."

"Alone?" Stiles asked, looking down at the cans, hesitating in opening them. "How far are you going?"

"No more than fifteen yards into the trees," Derek said.  "I'll circle around the camp, but no way am I going farther than that. I'm not losing the sound of your heartbeat."

"Still don't like you being out of sight. I don't have supernatural senses to keep tabs on you." Stiles opened the cans of stew and dumped them into the pot to warm them up. "Just be careful."

"Well," Derek said, digging in his bag and pulling out a bright orange shirt. "I'll put this on. You should be able to see me through the trees." He yanked the shirt on over his head. "Better?" he asked, hopefully.

Stiles snorted a laugh at the shirt. He couldn't help himself. "Sorry. It's the only other one I could find in your size." He smiled at Derek and reached out to touch him. "I'll set up a drying line with some fishing line and wash some of our clothes on the rocks while you do the check. They should be dry by morning."

Derek pulled Stiles close and kissed him quickly, but thoroughly.  "Be back in fifteen," he murmured, dragging his lips over Stiles' neck.

"Better be," Stiles muttered. "Otherwise dinners gonna burn when I come after you."

Derek rumbled into Stiles' neck then pulled away and walked towards the tree line.

Stiles watched Derek leave. When he was at the tree line, Stiles turned back to the food to check on it before going to set up a line between trees then started going through their bags for dirty clothes. "Doubt I can get the blood out, but at least I can get most of the dirt," he mumbled to himself and started washing.

Stiles grumbled at a stain in one of Derek’s shirts, shook his head, scrubbed it against a rock some more and squeezed it out before he went to add it to the line of clothes that were already drying on the fishing line. He looked up when he heard Derek’s grumpy werewolf feet crunch on some leaves, no doubt on purpose so he wouldn't have a heart attack, and smiled as he returned from his perimeter sweep. “Food should be ready,” he said as he started to strip out of his wet shirt. “I grabbed some camping silverware earlier. It’s still in my bag.”

Derek stopped at the sight of Stiles pulling off his shirt and walked over to Stiles and hugged him.  “I love you,” he said into Stiles’ neck.

Stiles grinned and leaned back against Derek, tilting his head to let Derek have more access to his neck. “Mmm, I love you too,” he said softly. “But if you love me just because I’m heating stew up, we better hurry and get it off the fire so it doesn't burn,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, that must be it,” Derek said dryly.  “Never mind your intelligence, loyalty, passion, resourcefulness… that’s all just gravy.” He rubbed his beard against Stiles’ neck scruff and let him go, moving over to root through Stiles’ bag for the silverware.

Stiles pouted. “No more cuddling?” He snorted and shook his head, putting his shirt in the pile he was planning on finishing washing tomorrow, going to check on the food. It looked warm and Stiles grabbed the branch to lift it out of the hole and put it on the dirt next to him. “Looks good.”

“You were the one all concerned about burning the stew,” Derek replied, snorting with laughter.  He grabbed two spoons and brought them to where Stiles was sitting with the pot. “I can’t even express how excited I am to have a warm meal.” He handed Stiles his spoon and dug in.  “It’s been what, more than three months?”

Stiles took his spoon and smiled at Derek. “That’s why I didn't want to burn it.” He waited until Derek took his first bite and then Stiles dipped his spoon in to gather a little bit of meat and potatoes, groaning as he ate. “Oh my god. Warm food. This is amazing.”

Neither one of them said much as they shoveled the stew into their mouths. They were both too intent on getting their fill after months of deprivation. The sun was barely starting to set, their bellies full of warm food making them sleepy.

"I can't even muster up the energy to wash up tonight," Derek sighed, rubbing his belly in circles. "Wait until tomorrow?" 

“Go get in the tent… I’m gonna go rinse the pot out at the stream. And I’ll be right in.” Stiles ran a hand over Derek’s cheek and kissed him before forcing himself to get up to rinse out the pot. When he was done he crawled into the tent, feeling exhaustion start to finally set in. “We’ll eat warm food more often now,” he said quietly and sighed.

Derek pulled off his shoes and wiggled his toes. He unrolled both of their sleeping bags and lay down, crossing his arms behind his head, and beckoning Stiles to lie down.  “Can’t wait,” Derek mumbled, eyes falling shut.  “I should stay up and keep watch,” he continued.

Stiles laid down, kicked off his shoes and toed off his socks. “I’ll stay up,” Stiles offered. When he started to fall asleep, Stiles moved to sit up and rubbed his face. “I’ll sleep when you wake up,” he assured Derek. “You didn't get as much sleep as I did last night.”

Derek mumbled, “What did I do to deserve you?”  He rolled onto his side and burrowed into the sleeping bag, falling asleep almost immediately.

Stiles smiled as he looked down at Derek, then turned to look out the tent as he kept watch, doing his best not to fall asleep.

***

 _Stiles_ _huddled in close to Derek, rubbing his hands together and shivering as they walked down the sidewalk. “Oh my god. I don't think I’m ever going to get used to it being this cold no matter how many years I live here,” he laughed, visibly making an effort not to fall on his ass in the snow._

_Derek rumbled with laughter, his own body quite comfortable thanks to werewolves running hotter than humans. He held his arms out and pulled Stiles into his side.  “I guess you’re not built for New England weather, huh?”  He looked around at the large snowflakes drifting down around them, the streetlamps hung with wreaths and holiday lights.  “I always loved this weather when we were in New York. Particularly around the holidays.”_

_“I’m from California. If it gets to twenty degrees I’m freezing to death,” Stiles snorted and smiled, snuggling closer to Derek as they walked. “I can't wait for my dad to get here. We’re going to have the best Christmas ever. Even if we get snowed in. I can't wait to make that brisket.”_

_“I’m sure your dad can’t wait to eat that brisket either,” Derek said, smiling.  “And if we get snowed it, it better be after your dad is flying. I’m sure he wouldn’t be thrilled getting stuck in Milwaukee or something because of storms.” They crunched through the snow on the sidewalk for a few more blocks before they came to the front of Stiles’ apartment building.  Derek laced his fingers through Stiles’.  “So, do we still know how to go on good dates?”  
_

_"Of course. We're awesome daters. Just because we've been together for a gazillion years doesn't mean we aren't awesome daters." Stiles smiled and squeezed Derek's hand. "But that also doesn't mean I want to stay out in the snow," he added with a chuckle. "What do you say about going inside where it’s warm and you can knot me?"_

_Derek snorted and choked. “You really know how to keep the romance alive, don’t you?”  He pulled open the door and wrinkled his nose.  As soon as the door was open he was hit by the smell of blood._

_"Romance is my expertise," Stiles laughed. "Don't pretend that you don't want me hanging on your knot every waking, and sleeping, moment. You're not a good liar," he teased. "Be glad I'm human and I have to stop for nourishment."_

_Derek shot his hand out and grabbed Stiles’ wrist.  “Stiles, stop,” he snapped.  He could see someone that he recognized as one of Stiles’ neighbors curled up on the ground in front of the mailboxes. The man's heartbeat was rabbiting out of control and the smell of blood was thick in the air._

_"Derek, what -" Stiles turned to look into the lobby and froze. "Oh my god. Tyler!" Stiles darted off towards his neighbor. "What happened?! Fuck. Derek call an ambulance!" Stiles stood there staring, blood everywhere on the floor, most of it appearing to be coming from Tyler._

_“Stiles, don’t touch him,” Derek barked. “He smells sick and you don’t know if it could be contagious.”  He pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed 911, giving the information to the dispatcher. He paced around the lobby, answering the questions the dispatcher was asking._

_"What the fuck does he have?! Ebola?!" Stiles looked like he felt helpless being unable to comfort or help his neighbor. He sighed and stepped away, tracking blood around the lobby as he walked. "Shit," he mumbled, looking down at his footprints._

_Derek pulled the phone away from his ear. “I don’t know, Stiles, but we can’t start panicking.”  He heard sirens approaching, about two blocks away. “The ambulance is coming,” he told Stiles.  He winced at the bloody footprints Stiles was leaving on the floor, but it couldn’t be helped now. Suddenly Tyler shot upright and explosively vomited blood. Derek cursed and pulled Stiles further away. Tyler fell back to the ground and started having what looked like a seizure.  Derek tried not to panic himself as the ambulance pulled up to the doors._

_They couldn't do anything but watch as the paramedics came in and they were ushered away from the scene. Everything happened so quickly and Stiles watched as they worked on Tyler and tried to restrain him. After a few minutes, he was pronounced dead at the scene. “What the hell just happened,” he muttered._

_Derek was in a state of shock. Thirty minutes ago, he and Stiles had been laughing and enjoying each other’s company. And now they had seen someone die violently from something unknown. Derek had smelled sickness on people before but it had been nothing like this. They'd assured the paramedics they hadn't touched the body and Stiles had surrendered his bloody shoes. When Derek asked what else they should do, the medic had just told them it would be best if they stayed in the apartment, a kind of self-quarantine. "Is that necessary?" Derek asked and he didn’t like the look he'd gotten in answer._

_“We should probably go shower,” Stiles said numbly, looking between Derek and the paramedics. “Just in case. I’d feel better if we washed up.” He curled his toes up on the cold tile floor, taking a deep breath. “Come on. I want to get inside where it’s warm.”_

_An officer on the scene took down their information and told them they were free to go, but to expect to be contacted with questions pending an investigation.  Derek grabbed Stiles' hand and they silently walked to the elevator._

*** 

Stiles sighed and fought against consciousness as he nuzzled into the warmth next to him. He felt better than he had in months, curled up against Derek. He gave a sound of protest when Derek jostled him and wrapped his arm around Derek tighter as if he could prevent him from moving. “Don't wanna get up yet,” he said quietly. With winter almost completely gone, Stiles was more comfortable than he had been in months, not having to worry about freezing to death while he tried to sleep. “Everything okay?” he asked quietly, moving his hand under Derek’s shirt to warm his fingers.

“Considering the circumstances…” Derek mumbled, rolling his shoulders. The night had been quiet, nothing but animals coming near their makeshift campsite during their split night shifts. Derek pulled Stiles in closer and kissed the top of his head.  “We should get some washing up done before we head out for the day, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Stiles said and sighed. “Or maybe we can stay here for a couple of days… It’s been quiet. We can rest up before we head out again. Try and hunt and get some real nourishment.”

“It’s your decision,” Derek said.  “I know how eager you are to find your father.”  He wrapped both arms around Stiles.  “We’ll go whenever you want.”

“Well we’re not going to make it far if we don't rest up and get some protein.” Stiles kissed Derek’s chest. “I think we should stay for a couple of days. It seems safer, here. For now, anyway.”

“You got it,” Derek said firmly. “I heard plenty of animals in the area last night. I should be able to catch something.” He rested his cheek on Stiles’ head and closed his eyes, sighing. “Just so you know, I’m planning on shaving you this morning.” Derek scratched at the scrubby growth on Stiles’ cheeks, making him squirm.

Stiles laughed at that. “Don't make fun of my patchy facial hair. Not all of us can grow glorious beards.” He traced his fingers over Derek’s chest, running them through the hair there. “But I could go for a shave. Should probably trim your beard before I can braid it,” he teased.

Derek rubbed his hand through his beard and laughed softly.  "No argument here." He stretched his arms over his head, and shuffled out from under Stiles, sitting up.  "I need to piss," he said, crawling out of the tent and squinting in the sunlight.

“Need to mark your territory?” Stiles chuckled, sighing and rolling onto his back. After a few minutes he moved to get up and crawled out of the tent after Derek. “I should probably relieve myself too. Gotta finish washing the clothes and hanging them up before we wash up and eat breakfast. Clothes I washed last night should be dry.”

"Ugh, too early for dog jokes," Derek grumbled, urinating against a tree. "No matter how accurate they may be."

Stiles snorted a laugh. “It’s _never_ too early for dog jokes.” Stiles went to piss before grabbing the rest of the clothes and heading to the stream to finish washing them up. With the sun out today, they should be dry by noon if he got them on the line soon. “Check to see if the fire needs more wood,” he called out to Derek, scrubbing clothes on the same rocks he had yesterday.

Derek hunkered down next to the fire pit and peered at it.  "Looks like we could use some more. I'll get some and then heat up breakfast." He started weaving his way through the trees that abutted the clearing, picking up any dry wood he could find.

By the time Derek gathered wood and rekindled the fire, Stiles was hanging the last of the laundry up on the line and removing the dry clothes. “Did you want to eat first or wash up?” he asked, bringing the clothes over to their tent and started to fold them and packed them into their bags. “I feel pretty disgusting.”

"You know what, me too," Derek agreed. "I say wash up, then eat." He pulled a bottle of body wash out of one of the bags and summarily stripped off the rest of his clothes.  "You coming?"

“God, yes. I need to get as clean as possible,” Stiles said, stripping right along with Derek and grabbing their grooming kit from Derek’s bag. “Maybe I can go a day without feeling like a hobo.”

Derek strode toward the stream and stepped in, flinching at the temperature. He set the body wash on the bank, took a deep breath and started splashing the water over himself, wetting his hair and body.

Stiles jumped in the water, splashing Derek when he landed and laughed. “Not so cold when I’ve been washing clothes this morning,” he said and squatted in the stream, moving his hands into the water and cupping it onto his body. He got the handkerchief out of the grooming kit and tossed the kit onto the bank next to Derek before wetting the handkerchief. “Get in here and bring the soap.”

"Jesus," Derek sputtered as water cascaded over him, goosebumps popping up over his skin.  He picked up the body wash and moved closer to Stiles, squatting down onto his haunches. He squirted a small amount into Stiles' hair and started massaging, working it up into a lather.

“That feels good,” Stiles said, closing his eyes and sighing as Derek washed his hair. He took the bottle and squeezed some onto the handkerchief, placed the bottle on a rock next to them and lathered it up before reaching out to start washing over Derek’s skin. “Can't remember the last time I had clean hair.”

"A couple months, at least," Derek murmured, tipping Stiles head back with fingers under his chin, so he could rinse the foamy suds into the stream. He tugged at the wet strands of hair that were hanging nearly to Stiles' chin. "A far cry from that buzzcut you had when we first met," Derek said, smiling a little sadly.

“Never gonna have a buzz cut again,” Stiles said, mirroring Derek’s smile and leaning in to give him a soft kiss. “But maybe you can trim my hair? I can cut yours too. It’s getting a little long. I can trim it when I do your beard.” He ran the handkerchief over Derek’s arms and chest, wetting it again in the stream before scrubbing it over Derek’s thighs, then cleaned his cock carefully.

Derek shivered. “I wouldn’t mind getting this hair off my face,” he admitted, returning the favor and washing Stiles’ torso. “Might as well do it right away. There should be a scissors in that grooming kit, right?”

“Yeah. All the grooming stuff is in that pouch,” Stiles nodded. “Made sure to keep it all in one place after we almost lost the scissors last time.” Stiles finished scrubbing Derek’s body down and rinsed him off as best be could before helping Derek clean his own.

After Stiles was finished, Derek strode onto the bank, goosebumps covering his body as he grabbed the grooming kit and rifled through it, finding the small scissors and climbing back into the stream.  He held it out to Stiles.  “Do me first?”

“If you want a haircut, should probably find a rock,” Stiles teased and smiled, taking the scissors from Derek and kissed him before scooting in closer and carefully started trimming Derek’s beard. Stiles worked quietly, removing the hair from Derek’s face and rinsing the scissors and his hand. “How short do you want it?”

“Whatever you feel comfortable with,” Derek said, trying to hold still. He watched fondly as Stiles furrowed his brow in concentration, the snick of the scissors the only sound besides the birds.

“If it gets any longer you’re gonna look Amish,” Stiles said with a chuckle and trimmed it down until it was manageable, but still thick. “There.”

Derek rubbed his hand over his beard. “Your turn,” he said. He returned to the bag and pulled out the straight razor they had packed, considering it’d be easier to sharpen.  He beckoned Stiles’ closer and flicked the blade open.  “Are you ready for this?  No jumping around.”

“You know I’m horrible at this,” Stiles said and sighed, lathering up his face with the body wash and tried to sit still as he raised his chin for Derek to shave.

Derek swirled the blade in the water before raising it up to Stiles’ face. He cupped one hand around the back of Stiles’ neck and carefully swiped the blade along one cheek, flicking the bubbles into the stream.  He repeated the motion carefully, rubbing his thumb along Stiles’ neck as he did.

Stiles tried to stay as still as possible, closing his eyes and concentrating on the feeling of Derek’s touch. “Well, at least I won't be scraggly anymore,” he said with a small smile. “You always like when I’m clean shaven.”

Derek hmm’d in agreement, running his fingers over the cheek that he’d finished. “Other side,” he murmured, tipping Stiles’ head slightly, before he resumed sliding the razor over his skin.

When Derek was done, Stiles raised a hand to run over his face and feel how smooth it was. “Wow,” he said quietly. “I forgot how being shaven feels.” He smiled and rinsed his face with cool water and leaned in to give Derek a soft kiss. “Want me to trim your hair now?”

Derek cupped Stiles’ face in his hands and returned the kiss, swiping his tongue along Stiles’ lips.  “Maybe in a while,” he said, pulling Stiles’ closer to him, their bodies warm where they touched, despite the cool water.

Stiles was careful not to stab Derek with the scissors in his hand as he wrapped his arm around Derek and opened for a deeper kiss. “Should probably get out of the water,” Stiles mumbled against Derek’s lips.

"Good idea," Derek agreed.  He grabbed Stiles under his thighs and hoisted him effortlessly in the air as he stood, walking them carefully to the bank of the stream.

Stiles laughed softly and held onto Derek, dropping the scissors and the razor into the grooming kit as they passed by. "Take me to our tent," Stiles said, kissing Derek's neck.

"Ordering me around?" Derek smirked. "It's pretty early in the morning for that." He crouched down enough to get them inside the open tent flap before moving down to his knees.

"If it's never too early for dog jokes, it's never too early to order you around for sexy times," Stiles said with a laugh, sucking a dark mark onto Derek's neck. "Been a while."

Derek groaned and tipped his head to the side.  He grabbed of Stiles’ ass and squeezed, pulling his cheeks apart so he could ghost the tip of his fingers against Stiles’ hole.

"Mmm," Stiles grinned, closing his teeth over the already fading bruise on Derek's neck and biting gently. "Wanna suck you before you fuck me."

Derek clenched his fingers involuntarily around Stiles and moaned. It had been way too long since they had been able to do this. There had been some quick fumbles and rutting when they’d gotten too out of their minds and desperate, but they hadn’t fucked in months. “Tell me you have lube squirreled away somewhere,” Derek said, rolling his hips against Stiles.

Stiles grunted against Derek's lips as he kissed him, drawing back after a few moments and reaching back to flail around for his bag. When he felt it, he yanked it close so he could dig around in the front pocket. Stiles pulled a bottle of lube out in victory. "I grabbed a couple at Walgreens. Thought maybe someday we might need it again."

“Why am I not surprised?” Derek asked, huffing a laugh into Stiles’ shoulder, before flipping them over so he was pressing Stiles into the sleeping bag. He pulled Stiles’ leg until it was draped around his hips and ground down, kissing Stiles deeply.

Stiles groaned into Derek’s mouth. “I thought you said once being prepared was sexy,” Stiles mumbled against Derek’s lips, rocking up as best he could to feel Derek’s dick against his. “And I always try to be prepared. I mean, it’s been months but just because the world’s ending doesn't mean I’m not going to ever have sex again.”

“I like the way you think,” Derek said. “But unless we want this to end very soon, we better get a move on. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to last.” Even as he said it, Derek’s hips increased their pace, his body refusing to slow down.

“Since when are you ready to bang and be done with it?” Stiles asked, pulling the wrapper off the top of the lube and popping the cap. “Hold your fingers out.” When Derek did, Stiles squeezed some lube onto them. “There.”

“Since never,” Derek said, warming the lube between his fingers.  “But months of deprivation apparently took their toll.” He smirked and kissed Stiles, then mouthed at his neck as he traced his fingers behind Stiles’ balls. “Tell me you’re not feeling a little desperate, too.”

“I am,” Stiles assured Derek, hiking his leg up further on Derek’s hip to open himself up more. “But I want to enjoy it, too. I want to feel every bit of you as long as I can,” Stiles breathed against Derek’s neck, kissing and sucking against his pulse point. “We can't knot anymore… I just… I want to be close to you.”

Derek’s hips slowed, his face mirroring the longing in Stiles’ voice. He found Stiles' lips and gently rubbed his own against them, before slowly sliding his index finger inside Stiles' warmth.  "I want that too," he murmured against Stiles' mouth.

“Don't know when we’re going to be able to do this again,” Stiles reminded Derek before opening his mouth and kissing Derek back deeper. He groaned softly at the feeling of Derek’s finger sliding inside of him. After so long, if one finger felt this good, he could barely imagine what it would feel like to have Derek back inside of him. “Just don't want it to be over quickly.”

"Neither do I," Derek said, keeping the thrusting of his finger slow and gentle. "Wish I could spend hours wrapped up in you." He kept up the movement of his hand and brought the other up to brush the hair out of Stiles' eyes.

Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek, trying to keep him as flush to him as he could while Derek slowly fingered him open. He groaned with each press of Derek’s finger into him, arching his back and trying to rock against his hand. “Gonna feel so good to have you back inside of me,” he said softly, kissing Derek tenderly. “I miss this.”

"Me too," Derek said, resting his forehead against Stiles' and looking into his eyes.  He carefully slid another finger inside and kept up the slow stretching.

By the time Derek had three fingers buried inside of him, Stiles was clinging to his mate, groaning against his shoulder, doing his best to keep quiet so they wouldn't attract any attention to themselves. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he panted, letting his head fall back as he bared his neck to Derek. “Don't think I can wait anymore. Please, god, fuck me.”

Derek pulled his fingers out, Stiles' hole dripping with lube.  He used some more to slick up his cock and lined it up, pushing just the head past the ring of muscle. He hooked Stiles' leg over his shoulder and pushed forward, groaning.

“Fuck,” Stiles said with a moan, reaching for Derek and pulling him down for a hot, needy kiss. “Feels so fucking good. God, feel so fucking full, Derek.” Stiles squeezed his eyes closed, breathing deeply as he wiggled under Derek just enough to shift his angle. “Love you,” he breathed against Derek’s lips, giving him another thorough kiss. “So much.”

"I love you too," Derek said, running his hand up and down Stiles' thigh. Derek thrust, shoving deeper into Stiles. He skimmed his other hand down Stiles' side until he could grab Stiles’ ass, burying his fingers into the cleft and tracing them along Stiles’ rim.

Stiles groaned against Derek's neck, digging blunt nails into Derek's shoulder as he tried to pull him closer, as if trying to pull all of Derek's body into his. He kissed and sucked Derek's neck, frantic for more, for his mate. "Mmmhnn, fuck. Wish you could knot me."

"God, me too," Derek huffed, tipping his head back as Stiles marked up his neck, the bruises healing almost as fast as they appeared.  Derek groaned, sounding frustrated. Carefully he pulled his dick out Stiles' body and turned him gently onto his stomach, blanketing his body over him. Now every inch of their bodies were pressed together as Derek slid back inside.

"Fuck," Stiles groaned against his arm at the feeling of Derek stretching him all over again. Stiles arched his back, raising his hips enough to push his ass against Derek to take him deeper. "Fuck me."

Derek thrust his hips in slow, exaggerated motions, keeping himself plastered to Stiles' back. He grabbed both of Stiles hands and dragged them over his head, linking their fingers together and holding on tightly. He nosed at the back of Stiles' neck, as the sweat built up where they touched, making the glide of their skin smoother.

Stiles whined in the back of his throat, pushing back to meet Derek’s thrusts, squeezing his fingers tighter, letting Derek anchor him. “Derek,” he whimpered, fucking back against him a little harder, tilting his head to offer his neck to his mate. “Need you to claim me again,” he breathed.

Derek growled lowly against Stiles' neck, "Mine." He increased the depth of his thrusts and let go of one of Stiles' hands then slid his hand under their bodies, clasping Stiles' dick and stroking it smoothly. Derek set his teeth in Stiles' neck and pressed down slightly in tease.

Stiles bucked against Derek’s hand, caught between fucking into it and back onto Derek’s dick. Stiles settled for trying to do both, despite his lack of coordination in his efforts, groaning and rolling his hips back, grinding against Derek despite knowing he couldn't take his knot. “God, fuck. Bite me.”

Derek increased the pace of both hips and hand as he bit down decisively at the desperation in Stiles' voice, claiming his mate.

Stiles squeezed one hand tight against Derek’s, reaching his free hand back and running his fingers into Derek’s hair, pulling him tighter against his neck with a keening sound. “Oh, my - fuckkkkkk!” Derek slammed into his prostate when Stiles shifted his hips just right and the throbbing pain of Derek’s teeth sinking into his neck shot straight to his dick, sending sparks of pleasure through him as he tensed and came hard over Derek’s hand with a drawn out moan.

Derek groaned and ground his hips painfully against Stiles' ass and came, filling him up. He unclamped his jaw from Stiles' neck and started lapping at the bloody teeth marks.  "I didn't hurt you badly, did I?" he murmured.

Stiles gave a valiant effort to shake his head, but he rolled it onto his arm instead and panted, “Didn't hurt me.” He pressed his ass back against Derek in an effort to keep Derek inside of him a little longer, sighing out contentment at the feeling of Derek licking his mark. “Gimme a minute. We’re gonna go again,” he said with a laugh.

Derek buried his face in Stiles' back and laughed.  "You're a menace," he said, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Stiles' shoulder blades.  He wrapped both of his arms around Stiles' chest and held him close.

“Mmmm, but you wouldn't have me any other way,” Stiles said with a smile, twisting to give Derek a sloppy kiss. He smiled and lay there with Derek, enjoying the heat covering his back as he drew Derek’s dirty hand up to his mouth and started licking and sucking his own come from Derek’s fingers. “You know, when we find somewhere safe, we should settle down. Try to have something normal again. We can have this back.”

Derek shuddered as buried his face in the back of Stiles' neck, rooting around the bite mark.  "I want that too," he mumbled into the damp skin. "I want it more than anything. And I promise you I'll do whatever I can to make it happen."

Stiles pulled Derek’s clean hand around him and gave a happy sigh. He hadn't felt this connected and safe in months. “Me too,” Stiles assured him softly. “Maybe we can settle down back home. We can find my dad and we can figure it out. I’m sure Scott and the others are fine and holding up there. They’re strong. We just gotta get back home.”

"I admire your faith," Derek whispered.  "How do you stay so strong?" He tightened his arms around Stiles, pulling him as close as possible.

“I have you,” Stiles said softly. “You’re what keeps me going. If I didn't have you -”

"Stop," Derek said firmly. "Don't even think like that. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for." He turned Stiles in his arms so they were lying face to face.  "You keep me going just as much as I do you." He cupped Stiles' cheek in his hand, and leaning forward to kiss him gently.

Stiles kissed Derek back, wrapping his arms around him to hold him close. For once, Stiles couldn't say anything, kissing Derek more desperately, needing to be close. He eased Derek onto his back, sliding on top of him and rolled his hips against Derek’s, sliding their dicks together.

Derek clung onto Stiles, digging his fingers into the flesh of his back. As Stiles writhed against him, Derek’s dick started to fatten up. He slid a hand up to the back of Stiles' neck, pressing him closer, kissing Stiles frantically.

Stiles reached between them to grip Derek’s dick, stroking him to hardness as he kissed him wet and deep. “Gonna ride you,” he breathed against his lips, raising up to position himself, pressing Derek’s dick to his hole. Stiles groaned against Derek’s lips as he took Derek inside of him, sliding onto his cock slowly. “Fuck,” he panted.

Derek's eyes rolled back in his head as Stiles sank down on his cock, lube and Derek's own come slicking the way. He planted his feet on the ground and started rolling his hips upwards.  "So perfect, so good for me," he murmured throatily.

“Just for you,” Stiles agreed, raising up and sliding back down onto Derek with a long moan. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Derek’s, kissing him hungrily, setting up a needy pace as he started rocking his hips and fucking himself back onto Derek.

Derek clutched at Stiles' ass, pulling the cheeks apart and thrusting up harder, driving the noises out of him.  "You're mine," he growled. "And I'm not letting you go."

“Never gonna have to,” Stiles assured him, groaning and shoving back onto Derek’s dick, meeting him thrust for thrust. He was hard and leaking onto Derek’s abs, kissing and licking into his mouth with hungry sounds. Stiles broke from the kiss, burying his face against Derek’s neck, running a hand through Derek’s hair and pulling him tight against his mark for him to make it deeper.

Derek let out a broken moan, before biting down on Stiles' neck again. He held Stiles in place by the hips and thrust up even faster, the sounds of their flesh slapping together, loud in the now humid air of the tent.

“Oh, god, fuck - gonna come. Derek, hnnghh.” When Derek bit down harder, teeth cutting into flesh, Stiles opened his mouth and closed his teeth on Derek’s neck, and bit hard to claim him. He groaned against Derek’s neck, each jab of his dick slamming into his prostate until Stiles was tensing over him, squeezing Derek’s dick tight in his ass and spilling onto Derek’s abs as he came.

Derek didn't slow his pace, just gripped Stiles tighter.  "Not done with you yet," he said, shoving in deep.

Stiles whimpered and rocked back onto Derek, licking and sucking the already healing mark on his mate’s neck. “Fuck, don't stop,” he panted, turning in for a kiss.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Derek replied, before rolling Stiles onto his back. He grabbed Stiles' legs behind the knees and pushed them towards his shoulders, practically folding Stiles in half.

Stiles threw his head back, not keeping any of the sounds that wanted to come out back, groaning and moaning, whimpering and whining as he reached for Derek’s arm and dug blunt fingernails in, trying to pull him closer. “Fuckfuckfuck, Derek!”

Derek kept up the steady pace, sweat running down his back.  Derek dropped Stiles' legs and sat back on his feet, grabbing Stiles under his hips and pulling them up off the ground, holding them in place and driving his cock even deeper.

Stiles clung to Derek, trying to anchor himself in the way Derek’s cock felt shoving inside of him, the shocks of pleasure shooting through him. Suddenly another orgasm hit him, and he groaned softly, hips jerking as his cock gave a valiant effort to shoot more come onto his stomach. “Fuuckkk, Derek - fuck, please.” Stiles wasn't sure what he was begging for, for Derek to continue fucking him, for Derek to knot him, for Derek to fill him with his come, or all three. He just _needed._

Derek growled as Stiles came again. He slid one of his hands under the small of Stiles' back and reached for Stiles' dick with the other.  He swiped up the come on Stiles' stomach and started stroking, pounding into Stiles unerringly.

Stiles couldn't do anything but whimper and hold on, clinging to Derek’s shoulders and back, dragging nails along his skin and burying his face against Derek’s neck to breathe in his scent. Stiles couldn't think past the shooting pleasure of Derek’s assault against his prostate, squeezing his ass tight around Derek’s dick. “Fuck, knot me. God, please. Knot me. I need it. Please, Derek.”

Derek thrust in a half dozen more times before his orgasm hit, his knot swelling quickly. He continued stroking Stiles desperately and ground his dick in further. Derek squeezed his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Derek’s knot filling him up, stretching him perfectly like he hadn't felt in months had Stiles jerking in Derek’s hand and coming dry. He moaned into Derek’s neck, holding him tightly. He chanted Derek’s name like a prayer, kissing his neck and then over his face to kiss away Derek’s tears. “Shhh, I’m here,” he breathed, pressing a kiss to Derek’s lips.

Derek gasped into Stiles' mouth, chest heaving, hips still twitching as he pulsed come into Stiles' body.  "God Stiles, I shouldn't have... " He sniffled and buried his face against Stiles' neck.  "But I couldn't help myself.  I needed you. God, you have no idea what you do to me."

“I need you too,” Stiles assured him. “Always need you. And I wanted you to knot me.” He kissed Derek again softly. “Lay me back,” he said gently, keeping his arms around Derek. “Just wanna lay with you while we’re tied together.” He stroked his fingers over Derek’s skin, trying to assure him that he was there and everything would be okay.

Derek laid the two of them down, still breathing hard. "Jesus, Stiles, if something comes... "

Stiles wrapped his legs around Derek, kissing his shoulder before he reached out until he found his katana and pulled it closer. “Then I’ll have to stab it in the face. This thing has great reach, you know,” he teased.

Derek laughed shakily. He sighed and lay his head on Stiles' chest.  "Love you," he mumbled.

“I love you too,” Stiles said softly, tracing fingers over Derek’s sweaty skin. “We’ll be okay,” he assured him again, resting his head back and sighing contently, the feeling of Derek’s knot and come filling a void that Stiles didn't know he’d had for months.

Derek laid still and rubbed the wetness off his cheeks.  "We'll be okay," he repeated. He lifted his head and pressed a kiss just above Stiles' heart, before laying it back down and rubbing his cheek against Stiles' chest.

Stiles smiled, stroking fingers through Derek’s hair and scratching at his scalp gently, holding him close with his other arm. “Still wanna cut your hair,” he mumbled, breathing in their mingling scents with a deep breath. “Later, when we get a chance.”

Derek huffed with amusement.  "Only if we're attacking that rats' nest on your head at the same time." He reached up one hand to ruffle Stiles' hair.

“Only one pair of scissors,” Stiles said with a chuckle. “Can't do it at exactly the same time, but we can do it after.” He gave Derek’s hair a playful tug.

Derek nipped at Stiles' hand, before he grabbed it and pressed a kiss to the wrist. He shifted his hips minutely and groaned faintly as his knot shifted, pressing against Stiles' inner walls.

“Fuck,” Stiles said, unable to keep himself from squeezing tight around Derek and trying to grind against him. “That feels so good,” Stiles breathed, turning Derek’s face up to give him a kiss. “Probably gonna be like this for a while.”

Derek moaned into the kiss, shifting himself to lay more fully on top of Stiles. He swiped his tongue across Stiles' lips, running his hands down Stiles' thighs and grinding forward.

“Mmmnnh, god. I’m gonna be leaking all day, you know that? Haven't had your come in me like this for a while.” Stiles ran his hands along Derek’s back and onto his ass, trying to pull him in tighter, needing him to keep grinding into him.

"Can't wait to smell my come leaking out of you again.  Too bad I can't plug you up." Derek reached a hand under their bodies and toyed with Stiles' stretched rim. "Wish I could make you come again." He punctuated it with another grind forward.

Stiles moaned arching against Derek. “Should totally hit a toy store. I bet they’re fully stocked.” He laughed softly. “We’re gonna be the only ones looting butt plugs during the apocalypse.” Stiles grinned and kissed Derek deeply. “And if you keep grinding that perfect knot against my prostate you know I’ll come again without you even needing to touch my dick.”

"I don't know about that," Derek grunted, circling his hips. "I don't think you have anything left in you." He pressed his stomach down to trap Stiles' cock between their bodies, rubbing it against his abs. Derek sucked Stiles' bottom lip into his mouth and bit down slightly.

A shudder shot through Stiles and he dug his fingers into Derek’s ass more, squeezing it and rocking with him. “Fuck, I don't care if I don't have anymore,” he said into the kiss. “Just keep doing that. Feels amazing. Just want your knot in me as long as I can have you.”

Derek groaned into Stiles' mouth, hips jerking in aborted little thrusts. He licked his hand and snaked it between their bodies, gripping Stiles' cock and swirling his thumb around the head. 

Stiles echoed Derek’s groan, trying to fuck into his hand, pulling him into a needy, sloppy kiss. He ended up coming twice more on Derek’s knot, exhausted and sated by the time Derek was able to slide out and lick him clean. Stiles sighed and nuzzled into Derek, burying himself against his mate’s warmth and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This is the first chapter where we have more graphic description of violence, pertaining to the zombies. It's along the same level as the Walking Dead, but not AS graphically described as it's shown on that show.
> 
> -Derek and Stiles also hunt this chapter, with the implied violence that goes along with that. There's also descriptions of the prep of the animal for eat, (removing organs, skinning, etc.).
> 
> -The Xeno is not graphic. Derek licks Stiles out a bit as a full wolf. It's implied they do have full-shifted sex occasionally, however. If that's not your thing, it happens right at the beginning of the chapter and is easily skippable.

"Stiles," Derek murmured, fingers stroking down the side of Stiles’ face.

Stiles grumbled in his sleep, turning his face into his sleeping bag. “Five more minutes,” he mumbled into the fabric.

Derek rolled his eyes.  He bent down and licked over the back of Stiles' neck, then stuck his tongue in Stiles' ear.

Stiles squeaked. “Hey!” He shoved at Derek. “Unless you’re in there cleaning out earwax, I don't need a tongue in my ear.”

Derek chuckled. "It got you up, didn't it?" He dropped back to his haunches and gently slapped Stiles' rear end. “I've been hearing some wildlife nearby. Thought we'd go out and try to get ourselves some fresh meat."

Stiles yawned and stretched, smiling at Derek. “Not sure how much chase I can give. I’m sore all over. But I’ll go anyway. Should probably clean up.” Stiles reached back and pushed his fingers between his ass cheeks. “I’m still leaking your come.”

"Unless you never want us to leave this tent, you need to get cleaned up." Derek dragged his own fingers between Stiles' cheeks and pressed some of the come back into Stiles’ hole.

“Mmm.” Stiles smiled, arching his ass against Derek’s hand, enjoying the feel of Derek’s fingers inside of him and the way it eased his pleasant ache. “Really don't wanna get up, but I know if I don't then we’re never gonna leave this tent,” he agreed. “And I’d say lick me out, but you know we’d end up fucking again.”

"The thought did cross my mind," Derek said, voice wry. "Now, come on, there's game to be had." He crawled out of the tent and stood up, stretching his arms above his head.  He tossed a grin over his shoulder at Stiles and then shifted into his full wolf form, shaking out his fur when he finished. He chuffed and sat down, waiting for Stiles.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Stiles asked and raised his brows as he looked Derek over. It was so unfair. It had been a while since Derek shifted and all Stiles could think about was getting that sexy wolf dick inside of him or Derek licking him out. He laid there, opening his legs to show Derek how slick his thighs were from Derek’s leaking come. “Sure you don't wanna?”

Derek whined and daintily picked his way into the tent. He bent his head and rooted around Stiles' balls, before darting his tongue out and dragging it in long licks over the come leaking from his hole.

Stiles groaned softly, reaching down to comb his fingers through Derek’s fur, letting his head fall back against the ground. “Fuck. Whenever we set up somewhere you totally need to knot me when you’re shifted again.”

Derek lifted his head and huffed, his head cocked to the side. He leaned forward and licked straight across Stiles' face before stepping on his stomach and heading for the tent entrance. He bounded outside the tent, heading toward the stream.

Stiles grunted and held his stomach. “Hey, you jerk! You can't just leave me after doing that!” Stiles sighed and lay in the tent, rubbing his stomach and trying not to imagine dying a dramatic death from internal bleeding from heavy werewolf paws smashing his organs. When Derek didn't come back, Stiles eventually crawled out of the tent and headed to the stream to clean up.

Derek trotted over to Stiles, running around his legs before leaning against his thigh. He grabbed Stiles' hand carefully in his jaws and pulling him in the direction of the water.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Stiles assured Derek. “If you want, you can go ahead while I clean up. Just don't go too far…” Stiles stepped into the cool water and squatted down, splashing water against his thighs and between his ass cheeks as he tried to get as much come off as he could. Derek whined and sat, shaking his head and making his ears flop.  Derek just watched Stiles calmly as he washed.

After Stiles washed as best he could, he dried off with a handkerchief and went to get clothes off the drying line to dress. “Where did you wanna go?” he asked Derek, pulling on underwear and pants before snagging one of Derek’s shirts and pulling it over his head. “I could probably get some rabbits and squirrels pretty easily.” Stiles went back to the tent to get his katana, slinging it on and pulled his shoes on.

Derek sniffed the air and jerked his head north.

Stiles nodded and tucked his knife into his boot, then grabbed his bow. “Okay, let’s go. Following you buddy and that werewolf nose of yours.”

Derek padded into the trees, seemingly following an enticing scent. They walked about a quarter of a mile in silence. Finally, Derek stopped and chuffed quietly, waiting for Stiles before he peeked his head around a tree. In a small clearing, there was a doe and two yearlings, picking their way through the beechnuts that were littering the ground.

When Stiles saw them, he sighed and gave Derek a disapproving look because they were about to kill Bambi’s mother, but he shook his head and thought about how much they needed the protein. He set an arrow and nodded his head toward the deer. “The doe?” he asked quietly.

Derek whuffed and nodded clumsily, his muscles tensing and preparing to spring.

Stiles nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he raised the bow and quietly drew the string back. He watched the doe, eating and flicking her ears around and Stiles let himself relax as he took aim and let the arrow fly.

The second Stiles released the arrow, Derek shot out from behind the tree. The doe had turned to run, the arrow in her flank, hindering her.  Derek leaped onto her back and clamped his jaws on her neck, snapping it, blood filling his mouth.  She ran a few more steps before collapsing, Derek still on top of her.  The two yearlings bounded off and the woods fell silent.

Stiles came to a stop next to Derek and the doe, panting from the sprint as he chased them. He leaned over and placed a hand on his knee. "Remind me not to chase after you again when you’re taking down a deer." He laughed softly, reaching out to pull the arrow from the body and putting it back on the bow, then reaching out to run his hand over Derek.

Derek pulled his jaws off the deer, licking the blood off his chops. He turned into Stiles' touch before clambering off the doe's body and sitting down next to him.

"Guess it's time for me to do the work," Stiles said with a smile and set his bow aside. He pulled his knife from his boot and maneuvered the doe so he could cut her open. He fished out the organs, putting them into a pile for Derek and placed the heart into a handkerchief and set it aside. "You wanna eat the organs?" He asked Derek and started digging the guts out carefully. Stiles knew that normally Derek didn’t indulge in eating wild animal parts during his shift, but they were desperate for fresh meat.

Derek walked over to the pile Stiles made and buried his snout in it. He growled faintly, steadily eating as Stiles worked on the carcass.

Stiles smiled as he watched Derek eat, looking down at his bloody hands when he was done. "Should drag it back to camp and hang it up so I can skin it. Then I can carve it up so we can cook it."

Derek started to shift, but snapped his head to the side at a sudden faint groaning. His ears dropped flat against his skull and he started growling continuously.

Stiles looked up in the direction Derek was growling and waited, then slowly reached back and drew his katana from its sheath. "Figures we'd get some meat and the Infected comes shuffling around," Stiles grumbled.

The noise got louder until a body of what had once been a woman lurched out of the trees.  Derek snarled and ran at her, snapping his jaws around an arm and jerking his head, tearing it off her body.

"That will never stop being gross," Stiles said with a disgusted look on his face. "You so better brush your teeth before you kiss me again!" Stiles walked quickly towards the tree line as several more Infected emerged. "We've got company!" Stiles stabbed one in the head and slashed another one across the face.

Derek snarled again, spraying foamy saliva from his mouth. He leaped and caught another Infected in the back, knocking it flat on its stomach. Using the same move he had on the deer, he widened his jaws and bit hard through the neck, leaving the head dangling.

Stiles wielded his sword, lobbed one head off, then stabbing another before they could get too close to him, blood spraying over his clean clothes. Once the few Infected near him were dispatched, he walked over to the two that Derek had taken down and stabbed them in the head. "So much for having clean clothes..."

Derek shook his head, coughing and gagging, trying to rid the foulness out of his mouth. Finally, he shifted back to human and bent double, spitting on the ground. He stopped with his hands propped on his knees.  "Are you alright?" He croaked.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" Stiles asked, moving closer to see if Derek had any wounds.

"Nothing touched me," Derek assured Stiles, before gathering him in his arms and hugging him tightly.

"I'm ok," Stiles said softly, stabbing his katana in the ground and wrapping his arms around Derek.

Derek tucked his face into Stiles neck and breathed.  When he opened his eyes, he shoved Stiles to the side and shifted to his beta form, charging the Infected that had been sneaking up behind them. Derek plunged his claws into the creature’s eyes and watched it drop. He cringed before bending down and wiping his hand on the ground.  "Guess I'm not touching the deer now until I can get this shit off my hand," Derek groused.

"You just didn't want to carry the deer," Stiles muttered and sighed. He ran a hand across his face and then grumbled when he got blood all over it. "Great." Stiles shook his head and wiped his katana down on his already bloody jeans and sheathed it. "Get the bow please," he said to Derek and tied the wrapped heart to his belt loop. Stiles grabbed the deer's front legs and started dragging it back the direction of camp.

Derek picked up the bow and hurried to the deer, wincing as he walked over the beechnuts with his bare feet. With his clean hand he grabbed the back legs and hoisted them off the ground.

The trip back to camp took longer than it would have if Derek had been able to carry the deer and Stiles sighed, dropping it by the nearest tree. "Next time I'm hunting rabbits," he said, stripping his bloody shirt off and walking toward the stream. Stiles wet it and wiped himself down. "Come wash up."

Derek propped the bow against a tree and strode to the stream.  "Maybe we should heat some water for washing? I don't even want to think about what's on those things." Derek looked down at his hand and sighed.

"Rotting flesh and illness?" Stiles suggested dryly, handing Derek the wet shirt. "And as long as we don't use the actual pot for washing I'm okay with heating some up. I wanted to boil the heart but I can slice it up and put it over the fire."

"Haha," Derek said. "I'm worried about you, you know, since I can't actually catch illnesses." Derek took the red shirt and wrung it out. "Why don't you get changed and I'll go hang up the deer."

“No point in putting more clothes on when I have to get this deer taken care of,” Stiles stretched his neck and sighed. “You should probably put some clothes on and you know, clean out your mouth. I think I have a little mouthwash left.”

Derek ran his teeth over his tongue and grimaced.  "Just let me get the deer up and out of the way." He stalked over to his bag and pulled out a roll of nylon rope.  Surveying the trees around the clearing, he found a branch that looked nice and thick and swung the rope over it. He tied one end around the trunk and then walked over to the doe and dragged it back over with him. He knotted the rope around her back hooves and hoisted the entire animal in the air. 

Stiles put more wood to build up the fire and got a pot of water, setting it to boil. Once that was done he found some sticks and started setting them up in a tripod. "We're not going to be able to eat all that meat," he commented as he worked. "But we can probably smoke a lot of it. Make some jerky that will last three weeks or so."

"Good idea," Derek replied.  He inspected his body, flecked with dirt and blood.  "How's that water coming?"

"I put it to boil," Stiles said.  "It's on the fire if you want to check on it." Stiles focused on making simple shelves on the tripod in squares and laid sticks across them for the meat to be laid on. Once he made three, he sighed and looked at the tripod with a smile. "Now I just need to build a damp fire under it and voila, smoke."

"I'm impressed," Derek said, seeming pleased at Stiles' resourcefulness. He checked the pot. "Did you happen to grab a tin cup or something?"

"Yeah. The camping silverware came in one of those cup things," Stiles said with a nod. "Check my bag." Stiles pulled his knife from his boot and walked the perimeter of their camp in search of wood.

After several minutes, Stiles came back with an armful of wood to build the smoke fire, going about his work quietly as he set it up and got it going, putting the damp wood on top once the fire was steady. He smiled to himself and glanced over to where Derek was already clean and dressing. Stiles grabbed his knife again and headed over towards the deer. “Too bad I won't have time to properly tan the hide… figured I’d just use it to wrap around the tripod to help funnel the smoke for the meat.”

Derek looked at Stiles considering. "How do you know how to do all this stuff anyway? I never thought of you as the outdoorsy type." He found the bottle of mouthwash Stiles had mentioned earlier and spun the cap off, taking a swig and gargling. He spat and wiped his hand across his mouth. "At this point, I didn't think there was anything about you that could still surprise me."

Stiles studied the deer where Derek hung it for him, trying to gather the courage to speak. “My dad,” he said quietly and started cutting the hide around the legs of the deer so he could peel it off. “When I was a kid, he used to take me and my mom out to do stuff like this. Of course, my mom brought a book and read the whole time, letting us have our boy time, but I learned a lot. I’m sure he never thought I’d retain any of it, you know, with my whole ADHD thing, but I did. We went a few times after my mom died, but then we stopped going. I think my dad was too sad to do anything that made him happy after that.”

Derek dropped the mouthwash back into the bag and walked to Stiles, putting his hands on his shoulders. "I know you're worried about him." He squeezed Stiles' shoulders and said, "I'll do whatever it takes to get us home. To our family." He nosed into the back of Stiles' neck and placed a gentle kiss on his hairline.

“I know,” Stiles said, stopping momentarily to lean back against Derek and take comfort in his touch. “And with all this protein I think we’ll do a lot better than we have been. We won't have to take down big game for a while if we can get the majority of this dried and just eat what we can tonight.”

"Speaking of," Derek said into his neck.  "I can get the heart started.  What else do we need?"

“Oh, right.” Stiles untied the handkerchief with the heart in it from his belt loop and handed it to Derek. “We need a lot of sticks to put the meat on that we’re going to eat tonight so we can cook it. I figure you’ll put a lot down since we haven't eaten meat in a while and I’ll dry as much as we can. Should probably get some more wood so I can build a smoke fire under the deer if I can't get all of the jerky cut tonight.”

"I'll get the heart boiling, then sticks," Derek said. He took a knife out of the supplies and brought the heart to the stream bed that was littered with smooth rocks.  He carefully unwrapped the handkerchief and spread it out on the ground, the heart glistening wetly in the center.  Derek laid the heart on a rock, chopping it as best he could with the knife he had and dropping the pieces back onto the handkerchief.  Once he had the whole heart chopped, he dumped the lot into the boiling water. 

It took Stiles a good ten minutes to get the deer skinned and the hide wrapped around the tripod where the smoke was rising steadily now. He hummed to himself, working on the meat and taking big hunks of it to Derek near the fire where he was working on sticks for cooking. “You think that’s enough or do you want to cook more? I can bring more and then start cutting the rest for jerky.”

"I think we're good," Derek said, working with his claws to strip the bark off sticks. "There's almost enough here to feed an army."

“Yeah, well, you eat like an army,” Stiles said with a chuckle and leaned down for a quick kiss. “I’ll start stripping the rest down and cutting it up to put in the smoke while you cook,” he said and grabbed a smooth rock on his way back to the deer.

Derek propped as many sticks with skewered meat on them around the fire as he could and sat back, wiping his arm across the sweat beading his forehead. The sun was still fairly high in the sky and the heat from the fire made it worse.  The smell of sizzling venison filling the air around them.

Stiles worked for a good thirty minutes, getting all the good parts of the meat that his dad used to tell him about and cutting them up to put them on the smoker, then built a small smoke fire under the deer to keep the bugs off of it while the other meat smoked. He sighed and washed up in the stream before coming back and throwing himself on the ground next to Derek. “The jerky should be done in about three hours. I’ll work on putting more on once it’s done. Don't think I can fit any more on it right now. How’s the rest coming?”

"Some of the smaller pieces are already done." Derek held out a stick to Stiles. "Eat something before you fall over. And drink some water too." He brushed Stiles' hair off his sweaty forehead. "Maybe you can show me what to do, so I can help you before you collapse?"

“I think I’m too tired to eat,” Stiles said, taking the meat off the stick anyway and taking a bite as he laid back down, not caring that he was getting dirt all over his skin. “I can show you,” Stiles assured him. “I mean, it should be pretty easy now. It’s not like there are any guts to spoil the meat anymore.”

Derek smiled down at Stiles. "Why don't you sleep for awhile? I'll keep watch."

“Wake me up when the jerky is done so I can put some more meat in the smoke,” Stiles said after he finished eating the piece of meat he had, quickly falling asleep as he relaxed on the ground next to Derek.

Derek watched as Stiles drifted off, the sound of his breathing turning slow and regular.  He sighed and turned back to the fire, watching the flames twisting and turning.

***

 _Derek_ _sat next to Stiles on the couch, the lengths of their bodies pressed together.  He clutched at Stiles' hand desperately, knuckles turning white as they watched the news. The anchor was throwing out words like pandemic, global scale and 0% recovery rate and Derek was terrified. He kept seeing the blood splashed around the lobby as Stiles' neighbor died. He squeezed Stiles' hand tighter._

_“Ow, you’re going to break my hand,” Stiles said softly and tried to pull it out of Derek’s grasp. “Derek. Hey. Ease up.”_

_Derek looked down, startled, before letting go. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I just... sorry." He rubbed Stiles' thigh before turning his attention back to the television, where a representative of the CDC was warning people to stay in their homes unless it was absolutely necessary to leave._

_“It’s okay,” Stiles said, reaching out to take Derek’s hand again. “Just remember, my hand is breakable. I’m not a supernatural creature,” Stiles teased and sighed, giving Derek’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I think I have food for a week in the apartment… maybe we should go get some more if we have to stay inside for a while.”_

_“About that…” Derek said. “I think I should be the only one going out for supplies. Like you said, you’re not a supernatural creature. I can’t catch whatever they have.” He blew out a breath and looked back to the television. “What is happening?” he muttered._

_“I don't know,” Stiles said and sighed, running a hand over his face as they watched the news. “Obviously they’re not going to give us details. For all we know it could be some freakin’ biological warfare terrorist attack. But, I mean, it’s world wide so… that doesn't really make sense, does it?” Stiles leaned against Derek, pulling Derek’s arm around him and resting his head against Derek’s shoulder. “Are you sure werewolves can't get it? I know you can't get sick from normal human stuff, but this seems like a super-illness.”_

_“At least it’s more likely for me to not catch it than an average person,” Derek said quietly. He leaned his head against Stiles’, breathing in his scent. He paused for a second then looked down. “Were you able to get a hold of your dad today?”  The authorities had grounded all flights and travel indefinitely. And phone service had been spotty at best. Stiles had been trying repeatedly to get through to his father, but hadn’t had luck yet. Derek hated seeing how strained the lack of contact made Stiles. He felt sick at heart himself thinking of his entire pack, cut off and alone to deal with this._

_“No,” Stiles said softly, sighing again and giving Derek’s knee a squeeze. “I tried to call and it went straight to voicemail. Either he doesn't have service wherever he’s at or his phone is dead. I left a voicemail, though. I tried to call Scott but I couldn't get through, either.”_

_“Well, he is Sheriff,” Derek said. “I’m sure he’s got a lot of his own shit to handle.” He sighed. “More than likely though, he’s working his ass off trying to get in touch with you and it’s something wrong with communications.” Privately, Derek thought the phone blackouts and other things were intentional, to prevent information being leaked. “We’ll keep trying.”_

_“Yeah. I’m just trying to make sure I keep it charged and in my pocket in case he calls; In case anyone calls.” Stiles nuzzled against Derek’s shoulder, breathing deeply. “What do you want for dinner? I think we have some chicken and stew meat.”_

_“Anything’s fine,” Derek said distractedly. He leaned forward to the coffee table and grabbed a pen and notepad and started jotting some things down. “We should make a list of supplies that we need. I don’t think I want to wait a week to stock up.”_

_“Well, anything canned will hold up for a while. So probably lots of canned food. Soups, potted meat, hash, veggies, you know, anything like that. Water. I could go for another pot roast but I doubt there will be any meat at the butcher or deli if people have been panic shopping. Last winter we had a snow in coming I went to the store to get some eggs and there was not one egg carton in sight. And they weren't getting any in because the trucks couldn't get to the store to deliver.” Stiles shook his head. “We were without eggs for like a month.”_

_“I think water is one of the biggies,” Derek agreed, jotting down what Stiles was listing.  “I also think I should get some emergency blankets too, just in case we end up losing heat.”_

_“Yeah, okay. Um, I have a couple of flashlights, but we should probably get some more batteries. And I have a box of matches. I also have one of those Britta water filter pitchers if we have to drink out of the tap.”_

_"Maybe a couple refill filters for it then," Derek muttered, adding it to the list.  He dropped the pad onto the table.  "First thing tomorrow, I'm going out." He leaned back against the couch and put his arm around Stiles' shoulder, drawing him in close._

_Stiles tucked himself against Derek and rested his head against Derek’s chest. “I hope they figure out what’s going on and get this all cleaned up.”_

_"Me too," Derek murmured. "As long as we're together, we'll be okay." He ran his hand along Stiles' back and pressed closer to his warmth. "I have to believe that."_

***

Derek crawled out of the tent, raising his hand to shield against the sun.  With all the work on the deer they hadn't gotten to sleep until well into the night and now it looked like Stiles had let him sleep until almost noon. At the moment, Stiles was stirring the pot over the fire and Derek's mouth started to water at the scent. "Good morning," he said, coming up behind Stiles and circling his arms around his waist.

"Morning," Stiles said with a smile and leaned back against Derek. "How do you feel about venison for breakfast?" He chuckled. "Or, well, lunch."

"Sounds perfect," Derek replied, kissing the back of Stiles' neck. "I'm sure we'll get sick of it eventually, but today is not that day."

Stiles snorted. "That really shouldn't remind me of Independence Day." Stiles craned his neck to give Derek a kiss. "So what's the plan today since we don't need to hunt?"

"Well, we got the hair issue out of the way last night," Derek said, running his fingers through Stiles' now shorter locks.  "I think it's a good idea to start doing more in depth planning. What our route is going to be." He rubbed his lips against Stiles' neck.  "And if we get bored, we'll figure something out."

"I'd say let's skip straight to the boredom and get started on figuring something out but then we wouldn't get anything planned," Stiles said with a chuckle. "First we eat, then we can plan."

"Hmm, okay." Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles' ear and found a patch of grass to sit down on.  He held out his hand and Stiles passed him a plate before dropping down next to him.

Stiles wiggled a cup at Derek and smiled. "I found some wild mint and made some hot mint tea. Want some?"

"That sounds amazing," Derek said, taking the cup and sipping from it. The liquid coursed down his throat and warmed his belly from the inside out.

“Good, huh?” Stiles grinned and stuck a piece of meat with his fork to take a piece out of the pot and took a bite. He groaned softly. “I love venison. It’s like one of the best tasting meats. Add to that that we haven't eaten real protein like this in months and it’s like ten times better.”

"My family and I used to have venison all the time," Derek said, sticking a piece in his mouth. "Cora hated it. Although I'm pretty sure she was only saying it to be contrary." He chuckled. "She hit ten years old and grew a stubborn streak a mile wide."

“Isn’t that when that sort of thing usually happens?” Stiles asked with a smile, leaning one arm against his knee and took another bite of his meat. “You guys used to go hunting as a pack, right? Like we did before?”

"I don't even want to think about what I was like at that age," Derek said wryly. He looked off into the distance and tried to dredge up memories of his family that weren't painful. Unfortunately, even the good memories hurt. "Every month we would hunt as a pack. It gave us time to bond, and us kids a chance to work on our control."

Stiles smiled as he listened to Derek. “I bet it was a sight,” he said softly, pressing his side against Derek, nudging him with his leg. “You okay?”

Derek shook his head and smiled, but it felt strained. "I'll be fine," he said, and took another bite of food.

“We’ll be okay,” Stiles assured Derek gently. He turned back to his meat and ate quietly, body pressed against Derek’s as they settled into a silence and worked their way through the venison. The world was quieter now around them and neither of them felt the need to break the comfort they’d found in that with each other.

Derek let his mind come back to the present, to Stiles. As they ate, he felt himself relax and could have happily sat for hours. He realized with a jolt that this was probably the first quiet, peaceful moment they'd had since the world fell apart around them. He knew it wouldn't last, but decided to embrace it and file it away as a reminder that it was still possible to find peace and quiet happiness.

***

Stiles sighed as he finished packing up the jerky, separated into both their packs. “So where are we heading to next?” he asked, looking at Derek studying their map. “Tempted to stay since we have a nice little set up going here.”

“I know we’ve discussed sticking close to the interstates. I-78 will take us the rest of the way across Pennsylvania. We should have plenty of places to replenish our supplies, but we can veer off to avoid the more populated areas.” Derek folded the map up and shoved it into his bag. “Gotta love modern infrastructure. The interstates will take us all the way to California in a pretty direct line.”

Stiles nodded, moving to sit next to Derek. “I think we should travel parallel to them instead of on them if we can. At least that way we’re not visible to any Infected or other people. It’ll probably be safer. If we need to cross something we can just get back on in those places.”

“It’s as good a plan as any,” Derek agreed.  He looked around at their tiny campsite, a look of longing settling onto his face. “It’s a strange feeling,” he said, looking at Stiles.  “I feel this itch to get moving, but the urge to stay put is just as strong.” Derek rubbed a hand over his face.  “Maybe my instincts are out of whack.”

“I don't think they are,” Stiles said and leaned against him. “I mean, this is as good as we’ve had it in months. Water, food, shelter… and we’re as clean as we’ve been since we left the apartment.” Stiles sighed. “Haven't seen that many Infected out here. It’s nice,” he agreed. “I don't think you’re out of whack.”

Derek smiled slightly. “You’d be the first to tell me if I was, I’m sure.” He put his arm around Stiles’ shoulders and snuggled Stiles into his side.  “You’re certainly not one to keep things to yourself.” He kissed the top of Stiles’ head and let his eyes drift closed. 

“We can always leave in the morning,” Stiles said softly, snuggling against Derek and resting a hand on his thigh as he tried to get as close as possible. “We probably won't get too far anyway before we have to find somewhere to make camp. “We’ve got, what? Maybe five or six hours of daylight left?”

Derek looked up at the sky through the trees. “If even that.” He waved a hand at the camp. “By the time we packed everything up, it would hardly be worth it. We’d only end up four or five miles away.” He covered Stiles’ hand with his own. “One more night, then we can leave bright and early.”

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles agreed and smiled, bumping his shoulder with Derek’s. “I think we’ve got a little more cooked meat for dinner that I can heat up over the fire and I picked more mint earlier for some tea.” He turned up for a kiss, pressing his lips to Derek’s and giving his thigh a squeeze.

Derek returned the kiss and sighed into Stiles’ mouth, lacing their fingers together. “Sounds good,” he said, dragging his lips over Stiles’ jaw. 

Stiles closed his eyes, tilting his head up in offering and breathed in Derek’s scent. “I’m really gonna miss this,” he said, running his free hand up Derek’s neck. “Don't know when we’re going to be able to be like this again.”

“I’m trying not to think about it,” Derek admitted.  He started sucking a mark into the sensitive skin beneath Stiles’ ear, his arms circling Stiles’ waist.  He pulled off Stiles’ neck with a wet ‘pop’ and ran the flat of his tongue over the mark there. 

Stiles couldn't stop the groan from leaving his lips and he turned in to kiss Derek, moving to climb into his lap and straddling his hips. “We can eat dinner later,” he mumbled against Derek’s lips. “Right now I need you.”

“No arguments here,” Derek replied and pulled Stiles’ closer with a jerk, plastering their torsos together. He claimed Stiles’ mouth, kissing him deeply.

Stiles groaned against Derek’s lips, rocking his hips against him. “Should get in the tent,” he murmured and pulled at Derek’s shirt, lifting it up and pressing his hands to warm flesh.

“Not going to make it if you keep doing that,” Derek said, laughing. He patted Stiles on the butt, guiding him up and off his lap. Derek stood up and pulled Stiles in for another kiss, hand sliding around the back of his neck to hold him in place. His other hand went to the front of Stiles’ pants, pressing firmly against the bulge there. He abruptly pulled away and headed for the tent, shooting Stiles a grin over his shoulder.

Stiles stood there, mouth hanging open as he stared after Derek. “You know one day you’re going to walk away and I’m not going to chase you just to spite your teasing,” Stiles said, walking after Derek.

Once Stiles got close enough, Derek snaked a hand out and grabbed the front of his shirt, hauling him nearly off his feet and into the tent. He pushed Stiles down until he was lying on the sleeping bag before draping his body over him. “Good thing you love me,” Derek said, smirking. “I know you’ll always come after me.” He rubbed his cheek against Stiles’ neck. “Just like you know I’ll always come after you,” he whispered in Stiles’ ear. 

“You better,” Stiles said, wrapping his legs around Derek and pulling him tighter against his body, raising his chin and baring his neck for Derek. “You can't get rid of me buddy. You’re stuck with me. For life.”

“That better be at least another sixty or seventy years,” Derek rumbled against Stiles’ neck. “I won’t accept anything less.” He rolled his hips down, pressing their groins together and grinning into Stiles’ neck when he whined. Derek skimmed his hands down to the hem of Stiles’ shirt and pulled it up, ducking his head down and latching onto one of Stiles’ nipples, sucking gently.

Stiles gasped and ran his fingers into Derek’s hair, holding him against his chest. “Fuck,” he groaned, bucking up against Derek. “You’re gonna kill me before I’m 100 if you keep that up,” Stiles said with a laugh, pulling Derek up for a deep, needy kiss.

Derek kissed back fiercely for a moment, biting at Stiles’ lower lip and swallowing his moans. He pulled back and sat up, pulling his shirt over his head before tugging off Stiles’.  Derek bent over and nuzzled at the trail of hair leading down into Stiles’ pants, breathing in the waves of arousal coming off of Stiles.

Stiles gripped Derek's hair and arched up against him, the tickle of Derek's breath against his skin a tease that Stiles knew would turn into so much more. "Fuck, Derek."

"In a while," Derek mumbled into Stiles' stomach. He pulled open Stiles' pants and yanked them and Stiles’ underwear down around Stiles’ knees before burying his own face at the base of Stiles' cock.  He inhaled deeply and shuddered at the concentration of Stiles' musky scent.

Stiles twisted his fingers into Derek’s hair, tugging gently and trying to spread his legs more, trying to get more of Derek. Stiles struggled and kicked at his jeans and underwear, trying to wiggle them off so he could be fully naked, only for them to get stuck around his ankle. He whined softly, dick hard and hot against Derek’s cheek.

Derek slid his arms under and around Stiles' thighs, holding him in place as he dragged his mouth up the hard length of his cock. He swirled his tongue around the head, humming before sliding his mouth over it.

Stiles moaned, trying to raise his hips to get deeper into Derek’s mouth, but couldn't move from how Derek had him pinned with his hands. “Oh my god. Fuck. Love your mouth,” he muttered, trying to control his breathing so he wouldn't lose it from Derek just teasing his cock with his tongue.

Derek relaxed his throat and pushed steadily downwards until his nose was buried in the coarse curls around the base of Stiles' dick. He swallowed convulsively and his throat fluttered around Stiles.  Derek rolled his eyes upward to look at Stiles. Stiles’ head was thrown back, his long neck visible in offering.

Stiles writhed under Derek’s hands as if he could get deeper into Derek’s throat, fingers tugging at Derek’s hair. “Fuck. Love it when you suck me,” he babbled, fingers moving to Derek’s jaw to trace over his cheek, feeling it hallow around his cock. He groaned when his fingers brushed over Derek’s throat as if he could feel the strain there to swallow him down.

Derek brought one of his fingers towards his mouth, slipping it in besides Stiles’ cock, groaning as his lips stretched further.  Once it was wetted, he pulled it out and moved his hand under Stiles, pressing the finger against his hole, teasing and rubbing.

Stiles raised his knee, drawing it up and moving one hand to grip the back of his knee. “Mmmhn, yeah, fuck. Dammit I should probably get the lube.” Stiles released his leg but kept it up as he reached out blindly for his bag to dig it out.

Derek pulled off Stiles’ cock with a filthy sound and cleared his throat. “Good idea,” he mumbled, voice rough, pulling his finger out of Stiles. He moved his arms to press his hands against the undersides of Stiles’ thighs, folding them up to his chest before he bent back down and lapped at Stiles’ hole.

Stiles couldn't help the whine that slipped from his throat at the feeling of wet heat against his hole and coupled with Derek's raspy voice, Stiles was surprised he wasn't shooting off like a rocket. "Fuck. Just roll me over," he grumbled, reaching for Derek to pull him up by his hair for a needy kiss.

“Not this time,” Derek said into the kiss. “I want to see your eyes, every expression that crosses your face.” He grabbed the lube and hastily slicked both his cock and fingers.  He reached down and slid first one, then two fingers inside, as he rubbed his mouth against Stiles’, hot breaths passing between them.

Stiles whimpered, bucking against Derek’s fingers for more, trying to fuck himself on them to open himself up. When Derek pushed a third one in, Stiles groaned against Derek’s lips, the burning feeling of his hole stretching around Derek’s fingers causing his cock to throb. “Yeah, fuck. Twist them up. God, wanna feel your fingers on my prostate.”

Derek complied, maneuvering his fingers until Stiles clenched around him and let out a long, shaky moan. He pulled his fingers out and wiped them on his thigh, before lining up his cock at Stiles’ entrance and pushing in slowly.

Stiles clutched at Derek, unable to keep quite as sounds kept pouring from his lips, even as he kissed Derek wet and open. He pulled at Derek’s shoulders, trying to get him flush against his body, his calves hooking around the back of Derek’s thighs to haul him in tight.

Derek dropped down onto his forearms, pinning Stiles to the ground.  He thrust his hips slowly, watching Stiles’ face. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his lips before murmuring, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Stiles breathed, brows drawing together and face twisting with pleasure as Derek pushed in to the hilt, filling him completely. “God, I love you.” He ran a hand through Derek’s hair, sliding it down to the back of his neck and giving it a squeeze. “Feel so good.”

"So do you," Derek said, pressing his hips forward sharply, smiling at the gasp and whine that tumbled from Stiles' lips.  He started thrusting in at a steadily increasing pace, the hot clutch of Stiles' body making him seemingly desperate with need.

Stiles kissed Derek, licking into his mouth and squeezing tight around his dick with another groan. “Think we can get away with knotting again?” he panted, rocking his hips to meet Derek’s thrust.

"Oh god," Derek whimpered. He buried his face in Stiles' neck and huffed out panted words in between breaths. "I want it Stiles. Be buried in you, tied to you, so fucking deep." He kissed and sucked at the skin under Stiles' ear, moaning in delight.

“Yeah, fuck, I want it,” Stiles breathed against Derek’s shoulder. “I need you. God, always gonna need you.” Stiles ran his hands down Derek’s back and onto his ass, squeezing and pulling him forward, grinding against Derek. He turned his face into Derek’s neck, breathing in his scent as he licked and sucked the sensitive spot on Derek’s neck that Stiles knew drove him crazy.

Derek gasped when Stiles sucked hard against his neck, his hips pistoning forward, hurtling toward completion. He propped himself up on his hands and looked down at Stiles' face, twisted up in pleasure. "Touch yourself," he said roughly. "I want you to come with me."

“Hnnnghh, fuck. Can come on your knot untouched,” Stiles breathed, leaning up to kiss Derek again. He reached for his own dick anyway, quickly stripping it and fucking into his hand. “Fuck. So close.”

"Stiles," Derek moaned into his mouth, before pressing their foreheads together and looking into his eyes. "Stiles, it's coming. Wanna see you come."

“Yeah, yeah. Fuck. Oh god, almost. Fuck, please, wanna come on your knot.” Stiles whined as he jerked and squeezed his dick, trying to keep from shooting right off until he had Derek’s knot buried inside of him. “Wanna come with you.”

"Oh shit," Derek whimpered. He slid forward and moaned throatily as his knot started to swell. He managed a few more thrusts before it lodged inside and pulsed, emptying into Stiles. "Come, Stiles," Derek gasped, his legs shaking as his cock continued spasming.

Stiles groaned and jerked his dick quickly, feeling Derek’s knot swell and stretch him and fill him. “Ohhhhh fuckkk!” He whined high in the back of his throat and squeezed tight around Derek’s knot, which was pressing perfectly against his sensitive prostate. “DerekDerekDerek!” Stiles grunted, giving a long, drawn-out moan as he came hard over his hand, jerking under Derek and arching up against him with needy, desperate sounds.

Derek collapsed onto Stiles' chest, unable to stop circling his hips and whining as Stiles' ass clenched around his knot. He growled in satisfaction against Stiles' neck.

“Mmmmhnn, fuck,” Stiles breathed with a grin, pulling his come coated hand out from between them and drew Derek up for a kiss. “Wanna taste?” he teased, raising his dirty hand to Derek’s lips in offering.

"When don't I?" Derek murmured, before sucking Stiles' fingers into his mouth, his tongue fluttering on the delicate webbing between them. As he sucked, his knot pulsed again and he moaned around Stiles' fingers.

Stiles’ mouth hung open as he watched Derek with heated eyes, licking his own lips as Derek cleaned every last bit of come off of his fingers and hand. “Fuck, that’s always going to be hot,” he said, rolling his hips against Derek’s. “When we’re done, I want you to lick your come out of me until I’m clean.”

"The _mouth_ on you Stiles, I swear." Derek shook his head and pressed his lips to Stiles'. 

“Mmm.” Stiles grinned and kissed Derek deeply, running his clean hand through Derek’s hair. “You wouldn't have me any other way.”

Derek smiled down at Stiles, brushing the sweaty hair off his forehead. "You're damn right," he whispered, before sliding his arms around Stiles' back and holding him tight, burying his face in his neck.

“I love you,” Stiles whispered, arms and legs wrapped around Derek, holding him just as tight back. “So much.” He kissed Derek’s shoulder, nuzzling against him and breathing him in deeply.

"Love you too." Derek kissed the side of Stiles' neck sweetly, before sighing and laying his head on Stiles' chest.

Stiles smiled and kissed the top of Derek’s head, smoothing his fingers along the muscles of Derek’s back. “I’ll wake you up when we untie,” Stiles assured him softly. “Go to sleep. I’ll stay awake.”

"Too good to me," Derek mumbled, his eyes sliding closed.  He rubbed his cheek back and forth over Stiles' chest, their scents mingling completely as they lay entwined.

Stiles just smiled to himself, running his fingers along Derek’s sweaty, sticky skin and held him close, listening to his breathe even out as Derek fell asleep. Stiles took comfort in his mate and the little peace they’d found in the clearing with what little time they’d had there.

***

  _Stiles_ _ran a hand through his hair and sighed, trying not to freak out. He was_ not _going to freak out. He couldn't. He breathed deeply, trying to control the panic he could feel rising in his chest. Stiles turned his attention back to the TV and the news anchor that was covering world wide riots. Things were falling apart. People were starting to vandalize and steal and Stiles jumped at the sound of gunshots outside and broken glass and people screaming._

_“Fuck,” he muttered, running his hands over his face. “Come on, come on. Where are you Derek.” Another crash outside and Stiles shook his head. He couldn't just wait here anymore for Derek to come back. He was supposed to be back at least an hour ago. Stiles’ eyes searched around his apartment, unsure of what exactly he was going to do if people ended up shooting at him, but his eyes landed on his bat and he picked it up, heading for the door. He knew where Derek was going and somehow, he would find him._

_Stiles took a deep breath and opened the door to the apartment slowly, sticking his head out to see if there was anyone in the hallway. When he saw no one, he quietly slipped out of the door and closed it behind him, quickly locking the door and then started down the hallway. Stiles turned the corner to head for the stairs then stumbled back, trying to gain his footing._

_“Please. Help me.” A woman said, reaching for him. From how sick she looked, Stiles could only assume that she had the virus that was killing people._

_“Stay away. Don't touch me,” Stiles said quickly, trying to back up and banging into a fire extinguisher. “Stop. Go away!” She grabbed him and Stiles didn't want to touch her, but he didn't have any other choice as he struggled to get her to release him. She started coughing and bleeding from her eyes and mouth, spraying blood all over Stiles’ face and shirt. “Let go!”_

_The woman collapsed and Stiles couldn't do anything but stare at her laying there on the floor, then at himself covered in her blood. His breathing started coming in short bursts and Stiles stood there in shock. “I’m infected,” he breathed, heart pounding in his chest._

_Derek suddenly turned the corner and stopped dead. He looked at Stiles, covered in blood, and the woman lying in front of him. Derek hurried forward and grabbed Stiles by the shoulders as Stiles started to hyperventilate. "Breathe, Stiles, breathe.”_

_It took Stiles several moments to focus on Derek and he started panicking more. “Derek. Derek, I got it in my mouth and my eyes - Derek!” Stiles started rubbing at his face as if he could wipe off the blood instead of smearing it all over his skin._

_Derek grabbed Stiles' wrists and pulled them away from his face. "Stop, Stiles," he said, his voice wobbling. He pulled Stiles to him, wrapping him in his arms. "I'm here, we'll figure this out." He squeezed Stiles tighter. "You'll be okay, you will."_

_Stiles let Derek crush him against his body and Stiles buried his face against Derek’s neck, trying to calm himself with Derek’s scent. With the warmth of his mate’s body against his. Stiles started to tear up at the thought of losing this. “How long do you think I have?” he asked softly, voice breaking at the words. “Before -”_

_"No," Derek said, shaking his head. "You're not going anywhere." He pulled back and cupped Stiles' face in his hands. "I won't let you." Derek rubbed his thumbs over Stiles' cheekbones for a moment before taking his hand and pulling him towards the apartment. He glanced back at the woman's body with a look of regret._

_“I locked the door,” Stiles mumbled, mind numb as he let Derek lead him to the apartment. “I was going to look for you. You were gone a long time. I was worried.”_

_Derek’s face twisted.  "Jesus, Stiles." He reached into Stiles' pocket and pulled out the keys, his hand shaking as he pushed it into the lock. He guided Stiles inside and quickly locked the door behind them, tugging Stiles by the hand into the bathroom. "Let's get you cleaned up."_

_“Yeah, okay,” Stiles agreed, going with Derek._


	4. Chapter 4

Derek felt cool lips pressing a kiss to his cheek. He groaned and stretched his arms above his head, opening his eyes to Stiles looking down at him, impish grin on his face. "Good morning," Derek rumbled, pulling Stiles down for a proper kiss.

Stiles smiled, giving Derek another, wetter kiss. “Time to wake up sleepy head. I tried to let you sleep in and started packing up. Should get going soon.”

"You could've woken me," Derek chastised. "You've done more than your share of work." He brought Stiles' hand to his mouth and kissed his fingers, before crawling out of the tent. He tilted his head back and let the warmth of the sun wash over his naked skin.

Stiles grinned and knelt up, reaching his hands out of the tent and squeezed Derek’s butt. “You know, this is the perfect view,” he teased, then gave Derek a swat on one butt cheek.

Derek looked over his shoulder at Stiles and raised an eyebrow, clenching his backside. "You know, the subtlety in your romantic gestures is what won me over," Derek said drily.

“I’m glad you like them enough to stay,” Stiles said with a chuckle and squeezed Derek’s butt again. “The next time we find a safe place, I’m totally going to give this perfect ass some love.” Stiles smiled and leaned forward to kiss one cheek before crawling out of the tent and stood next to Derek.

Derek leaned in and rubbed his nose against Stiles’ cheek. “Mmm,” he hummed. “If that’s not incentive, I don’t know what is.” He set his teeth against the tendon in Stiles’ neck and bit down gently.  “If we push ourselves, we should be able to make a good few miles today.”  He looked around the campsite and felt a guilty pang when he saw how much Stiles had already packed away.

Stiles sighed and leaned back against Derek. “Yeah. I know we need to get going, but I kinda don't even want to go. We haven't had it this good in months, you know? Water, lots of game, relatively safe camp. We might not find a place like this again.” He ran a hand along Derek’s arm, resting his head back against his shoulder. “Pretty much have everything packed, except the tent.”

“It is tempting to stay,” Derek admitted, sliding his arms around Stiles’ waist. “But… we need to go home. We need to find out what happened to our pack, our family. Neither one of us is going to feel right until we do.” He nuzzled Stiles’ neck. “And as long as you’re with me, I’ll be happy wherever we are along the way.”

“I know,” Stiles agreed softly. “We’ll be okay.” He craned his neck to give Derek a kiss, squeezing his arm and smiled, reaching back to swat Derek’s butt again. “Get dressed so we can finish packing up before I drag you back into the tent and we’re here another day.”

Derek smiled and then walked over to a tree to relieve himself. He shook off his dick when he finished and then started digging around in his bag for some relatively clean clothes; He pulled them on and grabbed his new boots. With all the walking they’d be doing, he was glad they’d found something more durable than the shoes he had been wearing, which were falling apart by now. He finished doing up the laces and stood up to help Stiles, who had started breaking down the tent.

“You know, the tent is supposed to be your job,” Stiles said as he struggled with the tent, visibly trying not to fall on his face and onto the tent as he tried to pull the poles out of it.

“If you had been patient while I got dressed…” Derek said lightly, holding the poles steady. Working together, they had the tent disassembled and packed away after a few minutes. Derek added it to his bag and stood up, hands on his hips. “What do you think?” he asked. “Eat and then go?”

“I guess it’s jerky for breakfast since I already packed up the pot. The fire is dead, unless you want me to start a new one and get the pot out to heat up some stew or something.” Stiles stretched his neck and sighed. “I think I have a knot in my neck.”

“Jerky’s fine,” Derek said. “The protein will be good.” He reached a hand out and put it on the back of Stiles’ neck, draining some of his pain, black tendrils twisting up his forearm.

“You could just give me a massage, too,” Stiles suggested and smiled, before grabbing his bag and getting a pack of jerky out for them.

“If you feed me,” Derek said with a smile before gently squeezing Stiles’ shoulders, working at the knot with his thumbs. He tugged Stiles down to the ground and settled himself behind him. “This feel okay?”

“Yeah,” Stiles breathed and tilted his head into Derek’s massage, handing him a piece of jerky over his shoulder. “Just keep doing that.”

Derek stuffed the jerky in his mouth and chewed, continuing his massage. Stiles started making happy noises and Derek could feel his muscles relaxing. He rumbled in his chest, enjoying the way he could make Stiles feel.

Stiles whined softly when Derek stopped. “Done already?” he pouted, handing Derek another piece of jerky.

“Can’t have you falling asleep before we even get started,” Derek pointed out. He started on his second piece of jerky, running his fingers through Stiles’ hair and scratching his scalp.

Stiles leaned into Derek’s touch as he started eating jerky himself. “How far do you think we’re going to get today?”

"If we keep a steady pace? There's not much between us and Harrisburg, so I'd be happy if we got at least 15 miles. But that's only if we can handle it." He took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Getting blown out and feet covered in blisters wouldn't be good either."

“Yeah,” Stiles said and ran a hand over his face. “Too bad I’m not a wolf and can't cover, like, thirty miles a day.”

"Well," Derek said, "If we're lucky, maybe we can pick up a vehicle on the outskirts of Harrisburg." He rubbed Stiles' shoulder. "And you're perfect, just the way you are."

“Sometimes I feel like I’m slowing us down, because I can't travel as much as you can on foot. If you were by yourself you probably already would’ve been back in Beacon Hills.”

"Don't talk like that," Derek said, reproachful. "Maybe I'd be in Beacon Hills, but I'd be miserable without you." He cupped Stiles' face in his hands. "We're in this together, no matter what."

Stiles nodded, face scrunching up. He pressed a kiss to Derek’s lips. “Yeah, okay.”

Derek returned the kiss, before pulling him close for a hug, running his hands over Stiles' back, feeling the minute trembles wracking his body. "We can do this," he murmured. "We're going to make it."

***

 _Stiles_ _was sitting on the couch, curled up in a corner with his knees drawn up to his chest and his head resting on them. “How long did they say it takes?”_

_"It varies," Derek said, fighting to keep his voice level. "In some cases... a matter of hours." He sat down on the couch, resting his hand on Stiles' back._

_Stiles sniffled. “So I’m going to be dead in a few hours…”_

_Derek shook his head forcefully. "No, Stiles, no." He put his hand under Stiles' chin and tilted it up. "I'm not going to let that happen." He looked seriously into Stiles' eyes. "I know you said you never wanted it, but... the bite."_

_Stiles shook his head, running his hands over his face. “We can't,” he said softly. “We don't know - what if you get infected when you bite me. Biting me is completely different than coming into contact with someone that’s sick out in the streets, Derek. We can't risk that.”_

_Derek felt his stomach sink. "I can't risk losing you either," he whispered._

_“The bite might not even take,” Stiles reminded Derek. “And then I’ll still be dead and you’ll be infected and then you’ll die too.”_

_Derek felt his face start to crumple. "This can't be happening." After everyone he'd lost, finally opening up and feeling safe again, was it really going to end like this? He desperately wiped at the tears on Stiles' cheeks, even as he felt his own spill over._

_“I’m sorry,” Stiles breathed, reaching out and clutching at Derek. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone out. I should’ve stayed inside like you told me to. I was just so worried -” Stiles continued to cry, despite Derek’s fingers pushing away his tears. “I love you, so much. I don't want to leave you.”_

_"No, no," Derek said, pulling Stiles until Stiles’ face was pressed against his chest. "I'm sorry.  I should've been back to protect you." He choked on a sob. "We never should have split up." He buried his face in Stiles' hair, his tears quickly dampening it.  "I love you. I love you." He kept repeating it, brokenly._

_Stiles clutched at Derek, gripping him as tightly as possible. “You have to find my dad,” he whispered into the silence. “When I’m gone… I want you to go back to Beacon Hills and find my dad. Please.”_

_"Stiles, I..." But what could Derek say? He could hear the desperation in Stiles' voice. He had no idea how he'd be able to go on without Stiles, but he couldn't tell him no.  "Of course I will," Derek whispered._

_“Tell him that I’m sorry and that I love him, too.” Stiles sniffled, nuzzling against Derek’s chest. “You need to take care of each other. I know you’ll have the pack, but my dad, he won't have anyone.”_

_"I'll tell him," Derek promised. He sucked in a shaky breath and held Stiles' tighter. "Will you lay down with me?" If this really was their last few hours together, the only way Derek would spend it would be in each others' arms._

_Stiles nodded, letting Derek help him off the couch and take him to the bedroom. Stiles stripped quietly and crawled into bed with Derek, wrapping himself around him, sighing against his chest. “You know, I thought we were going to spend a lifetime together,” Stiles said softly. “I’m sorry I ruined it for us.”_

_"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Derek said. "And I will always love you." Derek rubbed a hand over his face, trying to stop the tears, before he dropped his hand to Stiles' back.  "And I won't leave you." He breathed in Stiles' hair, wanting to memorize every sensation. The feel of Stiles' in his arms, his warmth, his scent, before it all slipped away._

_Stiles sniffled, rubbing his cheek against Derek as if trying to mark him with his scent one last time. “What are you going to do with my body?” he asked quietly. “When -”_

_Derek quailed. He didn't know how to begin talking about this. But with the disease's rapid progression, they had no choice. "I don't know," he admitted. "Did you... I mean." Derek swallowed around the lump in his throat. "Did you have any... preferences?"_

_A tear slipped from Stiles’ eye and onto Derek’s chest. “I wanted to be buried with my mom, but that’s not going to happen.” He squeezed Derek tighter and sighed. “I don't think the city will be able to dispose of my body with all the bodies they’re already dealing with.” Stiles sniffled again. “Maybe… maybe you can cremate me and take me back with you?”_

_Derek couldn't take it anymore and began crying earnestly. "Of course," he said. "I'll take you home. I will." He felt physical pain in his chest, abruptly learning that heartbreak wasn't metaphorical. It was literal._

_Stiles placed a kiss against Derek’s chest and rubbed his cheek there again. “Thank you.” He breathed Derek in. “I’ll always love you,” he assured Derek softly. “You’re it for me, Derek. It’s always been you, you know. I need you to know that.”_

_"I never deserved you," Derek said quietly. "I was broken, and you put me back together." He tilted Stiles' head up so their eyes met. "I love you. And I'll be waiting for the time when we'll be together again." He kissed Stiles' lips, the salt of their tears mixing. "I'll find you. I always will," he murmured into Stiles' mouth._

_Stiles nodded, a fresh wave of tears trailing down his cheeks as he kissed Derek back, moving a hand up to run through Derek’s hair. “I know you will.” He kissed Derek again softly, before burying himself against Derek’s neck._

_Derek cleared his throat, thick with tears. He pressed his hand against the back of Stiles' neck. "Sleep," he said softly. "I won't leave you." He felt Stiles nod against his neck and held him closer, focusing on the sound of his heart still beating and trying to ignore the icy blade of fear in his gut at the thought of that sound fading. Stiles relaxed in his arms and Derek drew in a shuddering breath, more silent tears tracking down his cheeks._

***

_A few miles outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania_

Derek swung his leg over a large fallen tree trunk, before holding out his hand and helping Stiles’ climb over it too.  “Just another half mile and we should be able to see the interstate. Hopefully, they’ll be plenty of vehicles, considering we’re only a bit out from the city.” He squeezed Stiles’ hand. “All we need is one with gas.”

"Any chance we can commandeer an Ozarka water delivery truck? Cause I think I might pass out if we don't get some more water soon." Stiles hopped over the branch and landed next to Derek.

Derek caught Stiles’ hand and laced their fingers together. “Not long now,” he said, tugging Stiles in the direction of the road. “We’ll find something.” He shook his head, sweat flying off the ends of the hair laying over his forehead.

"You know, I'm really starting to miss winter," Stiles said as he walked along with Derek. "And air conditioning. And ice. And hot water. And, well, cold water. I just miss all kinds of water. Slushies. Icicles. Ice cream. Carbonation." Stiles sighed. "We need to take a break soon."

Derek cocked an eye at Stiles.  “Weren’t you the one who always complained about being cold?” He pulled their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed Stiles’ knuckles.  “We can stop for a minute. I still have some water in my bag.”

"But that was before I started sweating like a pig and my clothes started sticking to me." Stiles took a deep breath and planted himself on the ground. He checked his water bottle and frowned cause it was empty and made grabby hands for Derek's.

“I hear that,” Derek said. He held out his water bottle, watching as Stiles threw his head back, long neck exposed.  He swallowed and rummaged for the map, double checking their position.

Stiles took another drink then handed the bottle back to Derek. "If we don't find a car tonight maybe we should try to find a place to camp so we can at least get more water."

“We have probably eight or nine hours of daylight left,” Derek said. “We can look around as much as possible, but I don’t want to camp close to the city. Too much of a risk of larger numbers of Infected.” He studied the map again. “If we can’t find a working car, we should cut our losses and keep heading west along 78, getting as far as we can before it gets dark.”

“How far are we going into the city to look for a car?” Stiles asked, taking another drink of water when Derek didn't take the bottle from him. “There’s probably more Infected here than the last town. This place is a little bigger and you know how they like to herd together.”

“Honestly, I’d prefer to avoid going into the city at all,” Derek admitted. “I think we should just stick to the interstate west of the city.  There’s a good chance that more than a few people tried getting out when things went to hell, but didn’t make it very far.”

“Yeah, okay.” Stiles capped the water bottle and handed it back to Derek, stretching his neck first and then his legs. “Should probably get moving again before I decide right here is a good place to spend the night.”

Derek put the water bottle and map back in his bag, before standing up and stretching. He held out his hand and pulled Stiles to his feet. “Well,” he said. “Let’s see what we can see.”

After about fifteen more minutes of walking, they finally broke out of the treeline and onto the freeway. “Oh, thank God. A street. No rocks. No stumps… nothing for me to trip over.” Stiles stepped out onto the street and tripped over his own feet. “Hey, stop that,” he grumbled down at the street and frowned at his feet. “Maybe we should find me a horse. That way I don't have to walk anymore and we can move faster. Or some kind of animal I can ride.” Stiles stretched his back and turned around. “Tell me that’s a car and not a mirage.”

Derek smiled in what looked like relief. "That's not just one car. It looks like a jam." He steadied Stiles with a hand on his shoulder. "Chances are at least one of them will run." He took Stiles' hand and started walking in that direction, swinging his gaze from side to side.

Stiles smiled and walked with Derek, giving his hand a squeeze. “Go ahead and check. I’ll catch up. I’m gonna trip over myself if I walk too fast.”

Derek squeezed Stiles' hand back and started jogging in the direction of the cars.

It took Stiles a few minutes to catch up and he lingered, looking in the other cars for supplies they might need as he headed towards Derek. “Find anything?” he shouted in Derek’s direction. Stiles scrunched his face up when he passed a few dead bodies sitting in a car. “Augh, never going to get used to that smell.”

"I hope you never do," Derek half muttered to himself. He had popped the hood of a car he’d maneuvered off the road and was checking the fluids. He dropped the hood and winced at the loud, metallic clang.  "If we could get this one started, we'd probably get a fair ways."

“Maybe we can find some containers and siphon some gas off of the other cars?” Stiles suggested, turning around to look at Derek. “That would -” Stiles yelped as something grabbed his ankle and he tried to jump away, the action only causing him to stumble and lose his balance. He fell onto the ground, kicking out at whatever had him and trying to pull away again, unable to get his sword off his back. “What the fuck,” he said, kicking at half of a body of an Infected. “Get off!” He grabbed his knife out of his sleeve and stabbed it in the head.

"Jesus, Stiles!" Derek ran over to him and pulled him to his feet. "Are you all right?"

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. It didn't bite me,” Stiles said and wiped his knife off on the leg of his pants. “How on earth does half a body of an Infected just chill out under a car waiting for tasty legs to walk by so it can munch on?” He took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Really never thought I’d be saying things like tasty human legs.”

Derek hugged Stiles briefly, but fiercely. "Are you sure you want to hang out here looking for containers? There's probably more Infected around." He looked at the line of stopped cars with deep suspicion creasing his forehead. 

"Well we have to get the car running anyway. Isn't that going to take some time? We could at least get a little extra gas while one of us is working on it. What's wrong with the car?"

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but the keys are gone so it'll have to be hotwired." Derek scrubbed his hand over his face. "Assuming it will run after sitting outside all winter."

“Hopefully it’s a Chevy,” Stiles said and put his knife back into his sleeve. “Which car is it?” he asked, starting the direction that Derek came from.

Derek pointed to the car. "That one." He followed Stiles, continually scanning the area.

Stiles sighed and pulled the door open, looking at the car for a moment before he slid under the wheel and worked on freeing the wires from the panel to hotwire the car. “Might have to try a few cars or batteries if this one didn't hold over winter.” Stiles got his knife out again and cut the wires and stripped them then tried to jump start it.

Derek paced around the car as Stiles worked on it, looking critically at the other cars clogging up the road. "How's it coming?" He called to Stiles. "Any luck?"

“It’s not magic, Derek,” Stiles muttered and sighed. He pushed on the gas pedal with his elbow and tried a few more times until it almost started. He banged his head on the floor and tried again and finally the car jumped to life and Stiles twisted the wires together.

Derek smiled at the roar of the engine. He came around to the driver’s side door and squeezed Stiles’ leg.  “Looks like we’re in business.”  He took off his bag and opened the back door, tossing it into the backseat.  “How full is the tank?”

Stiles slid out from under the wheel and hopped in the seat to look at it. “Almost three-fourths full. We might not find a car that runs later so I still think we should try to get a little gas while we’re by all these cars,” Stiles said as he grabbed his bag and tossed it into the back with Derek’s along with his bow and sword.

“You’re probably right,” Derek sighed, resting against the side of the car. “Start checking backseats and trunks for containers then?” He looked back at the line of cars, most with doors hanging open, shattered windows and bloodstains. “It looks like most people left these cars in a hurry, there should be supplies left inside a lot of them.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll try not to get too far from the car. Wouldn't want anyone to steal it,” Stiles said with a snort and smiled at Derek, leaning in for a quick kiss before he started off to check the cars for containers and supplies.

“Not too far from the car,” Derek agreed. “And not too far from each other either,” he called after Stiles. He headed for the nearest car and pulled the trunk open. Inside were suitcases, along with some canned food, and several gallon jugs of water. “Hey!” he called to Stiles, and held up two of the water jugs with a grin.

Stiles gave Derek two happy thumbs up, thankful that they had at least some water now. Stiles searched for several minutes in nearby cars, coming back over to their car with a bag stuffed with some supplies and a couple of containers. He held up a water hose. “I figured we could use it to suck some gas out of the other cars.”

Derek stuffed the supplies he’d found into the backseat, and made room for what Stiles found. He wrinkled his nose at the hose. “Ugh, I can hardly wait,” he deadpanned. “With any luck, we’ll be able to find some more gas if we stay on the interstate.” He took the hose and made for one of the nearest cars. “I should be able to get us into the underground tanks, so we don’t have to risk the eventual vomiting from constantly siphoning gas.”

“Well don't swallow the gas,” Stiles said and bumped Derek’s shoulder. “You can feel when the suction changes in the hose. Just pull off before it comes out. I’ll do it if you don't want to.” Stiles took his knife and cut the ends off of the hose and started taking the cap off of one of the cars.

Derek raised his eyebrows at Stiles. “You know,” he said, “you seem to have way more survival knowledge than I do. It’s making me feel inadequate.” He watched as Stiles started to siphon the gas, taking note of how it was done.

Stiles stuck his tongue out at Derek. “I just have more experience sucking,” he teased and focused on the gas. Karma bit him in the butt when he got it into his mouth because he was making a face at Derek and he gagged before getting the hose into a container.

Derek rolled his eyes and rubbed Stiles’ back as he sputtered. The first container filled and he quickly swapped them out. “Not that I don’t appreciate your sucking in every way, but maybe we should save the jokes for when you’re not at risk of swallowing gasoline?” 

"Then you do it," Stiles said and spit onto the ground. "Your werewolf stomach will recuperate faster than mine."

“I asked for that one,” Derek muttered. After about three of the containers filled, the gas slowed to a trickle. “I think we tapped this one.” He capped the containers and started hauling them back to their car, tossing them in the trunk. “How much more do you think we should try to get?”

“I don't know,” Stiles said as he thought about it. “That might be like, what, three gallons or so? If the car gets maybe 30 miles on the highway that’ll put us at 90 miles with that, plus whatever we have in the tank already. We’ll have to find gas in about 100 miles or so.”

Derek opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as his ears twitched. Stiles started to say something and Derek shushed him quickly. Derek dropped into more of a crouch and peered in the direction of the noise. He snarled quietly as a large mob of Infected came into view. There were at least a hundred of them, heading in their direction.  “I think the decision just got made for us,” he growled around fangs.

Stiles sighed and looked between the mob and Derek, giving a nod and then went around the car to open the passenger door as quietly as possible and climbed in, carefully closing it behind him. He waited for Derek to get in before he looked at him and slouched down in his seat. “So are we just going to zoom off and hope they can't catch up?”

“They’re still at least a mile away,” Derek said. “Assuming the road is clear, we should be able to outrun them easily.” Derek put the car in drive and started moving. “Looks like we won’t be stopping for a while.” He started accelerating, putting the noise of the mob behind them.

“At least not until the gas runs out,” Stiles said and sighed again. He ran a hand over his face and relaxed in his seat some more. “Think it’s safe to drive around without a seatbelt?” he asked, moving his hand to the lever on the side of his seat and laying it back some more.

“I doubt we’ll get into an accident with another car,” Derek said dryly. “I think you’ll be okay.” He reached across the seats and squeezed Stiles’ hand. “I won’t crash.”

Stiles smiled and squeezed Derek’s hand back and laced their fingers together. “You almost crashed that one time I gave you roadhead.” He laughed softly and pushed his free hand behind his head.

“I thought we agreed to never mention that again.”

“No, you said not to mention it. I never agreed to anything,” Stiles said with a snort. “But it’s not like I’m spilling the beans to anyone.”

“What am I going to do with you?” Derek grumbled, but he smiled. He brought their joined hands to his lips and gently kissed Stiles’ knuckles, the road stretching out ahead of them.

“Love me forever?” Stiles smiled and squeezed Derek’s hand again. “And not waste our second chance."

Derek smiled back and said quietly, “I can do that.”

***

 _Derek jolted awake, his heart pounding erratically. His arms clutched convulsively around Stiles’ body, as if he’d drifted away when Derek had been asleep. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep after having sat awake staring at Stiles’ face, wondering how he was going to go on after his death. Stiles’ death…which hadn’t happened yet. Derek craned his neck to look at the clock and his mouth dropped open. They’d been asleep for almost twelve hours. He felt a burst of wild hope; maybe Stiles was going to be all right?_  

_Stiles tightened his hold on Derek, nuzzling against him and sighing as he woke. “How long was I out?” he mumbled. “Sorry I fell asleep…”_

_Derek swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I actually fell asleep too. It’s almost 7 a.m.”_

_Stiles cracked an eye open at Derek and gave him a sleepy glare. “You fell asleep?” He poked Derek in the back of his shoulder. “I could’ve died while you were asleep.”_

_“Jesus, Stiles,” Derek said, his hand covering his eyes.  He tried and failed to keep the tears from leaking out of the corner of his eyes.  “I’m so sorry.”_

_Stiles hugged Derek tighter and kissed over his hand. “I’m sorry,” he echoed softly. “I’m still here. I’m sorry.”_

_Derek kept his hand over his eyes, not even able to look at Stiles. “But if you weren’t,” he whispered. “I’d never have forgiven myself.” He tightened his other arm around Stiles’ back, his breathing ragged._

_Stiles moved his hand to carefully pull Derek’s off of his face, kissing over his cheeks and eyes, trying to kiss away the tears. “I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m here.”_

_Derek let out his breath in a sob, grabbing Stiles’ face and crushing their lips together.  It was barely even a kiss, just a frantic reminder that Stiles was still breathing, still there.  He could taste the salt of his own tears on Stiles’ lips, their breath humid between them, neither one wanting to pull away._

_Stiles kissed Derek back desperately, arms tightening around him and holding him close, crushing his lips with Derek’s. He clutched at Derek’s back and slid his thigh over Derek’s hip, keeping their bodies flush to one another._

_Derek whined into Stiles’ mouth, their heartbeats pounding out a frantic rhythm between them. He focused on that, the feel of Stiles’ heart, beating against his own chest where they were pressed together. “You’re going to make it,” he whispered desperately.  “You’re not going anywhere.”_

_“I don't want to go anywhere,” Stiles said, burying himself against Derek’s neck and breathed deeply. “I just want to stay here with you.”_

_Derek buried the fingers of one hand in Stiles’ hair, pressing him against his neck.  He didn’t know how long they lay there, but eventually their heartbeats slowed and their breathing evened out. He idly stroked his hand up and down Stiles’ back, letting himself start to believe that maybe they’d dodged a bullet._

_Stiles had been drifting in and out of consciousness, holding Derek tighter each time he woke up, turning into Derek’s neck again and nuzzling there. “I should be dead already,” Stiles finally whispered against Derek’s neck. “The infection has been killing people within minutes… hours at the most.”_

_“I know,” Derek murmured back. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but… I don’t think you’re infected.” He clutched Stiles tighter, like voicing his hopes out loud would cause Stiles to start convulsing and bleeding right in front of him._

_“You really think so?” Stiles asked softly, taking an unsteady breath. “Do I smell any different? Sick?”_

_Derek breathed in as deeply as he could. “You smell like Stiles. Like my mate.”  He buried his nose in Stiles’ hair. “My home.”_

_Stiles sniffled and kissed Derek’s neck and shoulder, holding him tighter. “You keep saying things like that and I’m gonna start crying again,” he teased._

_Derek let out a noise halfway between a laugh and a sob, still breathing in the heady scent of healthy, normal Stiles. "How on earth are you not sick?" Derek wondered._

_“I don't know,” Stiles replied, hugging Derek tighter and burying his face against Derek more. “But I’m gonna just be thankful for it if I don't get sick. The last thing I want to do is leave you.”_

_Derek stroked his fingers through Stiles’ hair. “Me too,” he whispered. He pulled Stiles up and rubbed his cheek against him, rumbling in his chest. “If you’re somehow immune… that means other people probably are too.”_

_“You really think that I’m immune?” Stiles asked, his tone bridging on hopeful as he buried himself against Derek’s chest._

_“From what we’ve heard, the virus’ mutation means you’d have been showing symptoms in a matter of hours at most. It’s been over twelve.” Derek tipped Stiles’ chin up so he could meet his eyes. “You look and smell perfectly healthy.” He pressed a kiss to Stiles’ lips. “I don’t know how it happened, but I think you’re okay.”_

_Stiles kissed Derek back softly, wrapping his arms around Derek tighter. “I don't think I should go out again… and maybe you shouldn't either if we don't really have to.”_

_“We’ll have to go out eventually,” Derek said. “But neither one of us is going to go out alone from now on.” He slipped his hands under Stiles’ shirt and ran them up his spine, enjoying the smooth warmth of his skin.  “I don’t want to have to go through this again.”_

_“Me neither. I don't want to be without you. I think its best we don't split up again. Or at least don't go too far away when there’s so many people around.” Stiles sighed at Derek’s touch and nuzzled into the crook of Derek’s neck._

_“Sounds good to me,” Derek murmured, letting his eyes fall closed. He blew out a breath, all of his senses focusing on Stiles. Stiles who was healthy and in his arms. He swore he would do everything to make sure that never changed._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See end notes for explanation of triggering content/explanation of tags. If you feel we need to tag anything else, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments.

_I-74, outside Galesburg, Illinois_

Derek shifted in his seat, the leather creaking slightly with his movement.  He glanced over into the passenger seat where Stiles was snoring, his mouth open.  Derek smiled and rubbed his hand over his face, grimacing at the sweat and grime that came away on it.  He looked out the windshield at the sun starting to peek over the horizon, resolving to wake Stiles in a few minutes for breakfast. 

Their days had started to run together. Drive, eat, avoid Infected, and avoid strangers. There had been startlingly little of both, which was both a blessing and a curse.  It meant they’d been fairly safe, but the monotony was wearing on the both of them.  Derek sighed and turned to reach his bag in the backseat, pulling out a box of poptarts they’d found in a store in Peoria. He opened a packet and started munching, before reaching out and shaking Stiles’ shoulder gently to wake him.

“I don't wanna wake up,” Stiles mumbled, sighing and trying to bury his face into his seat more. One thing the apocalypse hadn't changed was that Stiles still wasn't a morning person and never would be. Stiles raised his brow and peeked over at Derek. “Do I hear poptart foil crumbling?”

Derek snorted in amusement, before holding out one of the packets to Stiles. “You hear correctly.” He settled back into his seat and chewed, chasing every second or third bite with lukewarm water. “So,” he said around a mouthful, “we should come to I-80 today. And that takes us all the way to California.”

“Really?” Stiles asked, leaning back against his seat and taking the poptarts from Derek, peeling the package down and munched on it. “So then… we should be home soon?”

“Soon? I don’t know,” Derek said honestly. “We still have a long way to go. And with scavenging for supplies, clearing the road from pileups?” He shrugged. “It could still take us a few weeks.”

Stiles sighed. “Well… a few weeks is still better than several months.” Stiles took another bite of his poptart and took the water bottle from Derek when it was handed to him to take a sip. “Hopefully we’ll be back before summer sets in.”

“Let’s hope,” Derek agreed. He opened his map and studied it. “We should be able to pad out our supplies.  There are four towns right where we’re going to get to I-80.”  Tracing his finger along their route, he went on, “I’d like to have as much as possible before we leave Iowa. There aren’t as many places to look in Nebraska and Wyoming along the interstate.”

“Yeah, okay. We should get more gas too. As much as we can if we won't be able to find anything for a while. I really don't want to end up hoofing it through Wyoming.” Stiles put the water bottle back down next to Derek and rested his head back against the seat. “I just can't wait to get home.”

“Me neither,” Derek said. The further west they got, the stronger the urge became to be back in his territory again. But the more towns and cities they passed through, the more worried he got as to whether there’d even be a pack there when they got back. The population had been almost completely decimated. So many people had died from the virus, but for some reason not everyone had come back as Infected. The feeling that the world was practically one giant ghost town was a difficult one to shake. 

Stiles ate quietly, staring out of the window as he finished his poptarts. “Any specific spot we’re hitting first today map-man?” Stiles asked, tossing the wrapper out the window and leaning across the space between them to rest his head on Derek’s shoulder.

“We’re not too far from Rock Island,” Derek said, showing Stiles the map. “And then it’s crossing the Mississippi.” He frowned down at the map. “God, I hope the bridge isn’t blocked up. That would be a bitch to clear. I’m not to keen on all the noise shoving cars over the side into a river would make.”

“Yeah, well, lets try not to think about that,” Stiles said as he made a face of disapproval and sighed. “Now I’m thinking about it. We really can't do something that big. That’ll draw in a whole bunch of Infected. So, I’m gonna hope that there’s not many cars to move on the bridge.” Stiles dug into his bag for some beef jerky and handed Derek a few pieces.

Derek took a piece of jerky and bit into it. “Well, worst case scenario, we have to try to find a new car.” He shrugged and turned the key in the ignition. “I’m ready whenever you are.” He shoved the rest of the jerky into his mouth and grinned at Stiles, the meat puffing out his cheeks.

Stiles laughed and grinned up at Derek, leaning up to give him a big smooch on the lips. “Muawh. You’re adorable.” He snorted and kissed Derek again. “You sure you don't want to store some extra jerky in your cheeks for the trip?” Stiles shoved some jerky into his own mouth and chewed.

Derek laughed and choked on his mouthful. Stiles laughed and rubbed Derek’s back as he gasped. “Jerk,” Derek grunted, but he leaned over to give Stiles a kiss of his own.  He pulled the car off the shoulder and started heading down the road.

“But you love me anyway,” Stiles said with a chuckle and moved back into his seat. “Too bad we can't have a quickie in the car. The back seat is at least bigger than the Camaro’s was.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “One track mind, you have.”

“It was never a problem before,” Stiles said and glanced over at him. “But I can stop if you want me to.” Stiles shoved more jerky into his mouth and watched the trees pass them by.

“I never said it was a problem,” Derek smirked, before he rested his hand on Stiles’ upper thigh.  He started inching his fingers up.  “And I certainly would never tell you to stop.”

Stiles ate some more jerky, glancing at Derek and then at Derek’s hand. “What’s so wrong about still wanting sex even though the world has gone to shit? Just because we can't have it often doesn't mean that I don't still want it all the time.”

“Nothing’s wrong with it,” Derek said, squeezing Stiles’ thigh. “I was only teasing you.”  He grabbed Stiles’ hand and laced their fingers together. “Actually, it makes sense for us to have increased sex drives when the world’s gone to shit. Always running on adrenaline, needing to prove we’re still alive, laughing in the face of death, that sort of thing.”

Stiles sighed and squeezed Derek’s hand back. He stroked his fingers over the back of Derek’s hand, staring down at their laced fingers. “I just… I don't want you to get upset with me for things like that, even though I know you said you weren't. You might some day. Get annoyed with me. Especially if I’m the last person you’ll ever be around.” He squeezed Derek’s hand again, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Derek huffed and pulled the car over, putting it in park. He turned and pulled Stiles so they were facing each other. “Stiles,” he said seriously, “I’m not going to lie and say that there’s never friction between us. It’s only natural.” He brought a hand up to cup Stiles’ cheek. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with you. No matter what. You’re it for me and every day I become more certain of that.”

Stiles studied Derek quietly, taking a deep breath again and nodding. “You’re it for me too and I know everything's different now, but I still want what I’ve always wanted. With you. I don't know how we’re ever going to be able to settle down in one place and have a home, but it’s something that I still want.”

Derek opened his mouth, wanting to tell Stiles about the house that he had built for them back in Beacon Hills, but something stopped him. For all he knew, it’d been destroyed. And if it hadn’t… he had always planned it to be a surprise. Instead, he just smiled softly at Stiles, bringing their hands up so he could kiss his fingers. “I still want that too. More than anything.”

Stiles smiled and leaned over to give Derek a soft kiss. “You know that means you’re stuck with me, right? Like I always said… stuck with me forever.” He kissed Derek again, moving his free hand up to cup Derek’s cheek.

They were going to make it. It was their only option.

***

_Rock Island, Illinois_

Derek drove slowly, weaving around the few cars left in the middle of the road.  Stiles tapped his shoulder and Derek turned to look where he was pointing. In one of the turnoffs right before entering town was a cluster of stores, including both a Sam's club and a super target. "Looks like we're stocking up now." He turned down the service road and headed for the parking lot.

“Sam’s club might have more stuff than Target. You know, since they stock in bulk. It probably reeks though with all the bad produce in the back.”

Derek wrinkled his nose. “I can hardly wait,” he muttered, pulling the car up alongside the large automatic doors in front. He turned the car off and looked at Stiles. “Ready to do this?”

“Not really,” Stiles said and grabbed his nearly empty bag from the back. “But we need supplies. They’ll probably have some of those big five gallon waters and if we’re lucky they’ll have some canned food that’s not too picked over.”

Derek climbed out of the car, shutting the door quietly behind him. He walked up to the automatic doors and pried his hands into the gap, shoving them open, the hydraulics whining. As soon as they opened, he reeled back, the smell of rotting food and dead bodies overwhelming them both. Derek coughed and covered his face with his hand, eyes watering.

"Oh my god," Stiles said, running a few feet from the doors, gagging and trying to keep his breakfast down. He didn't succeed as poptarts were vomited onto the concrete.

Derek took deep breaths through his mouth, walking over to Stiles and rubbing his back as he gasped. “What now?” he asked.

“Augh. Maybe we should try Target. I don't know if I can go in there,” Stiles said and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Unless you want to run in and see what you can get without dying from the stench.”

“I don’t think I can do it,” Derek said, grimacing. “And I don’t want us separated. Let’s try the Target.” Derek cast a dubious look back at the Sam's Club. “Although now I’m wondering if it’ll be in the same shape.” 

“Maybe. Although I think Target’s produce section is smaller,” Stiles said, taking a deep breath and sighed it out. “I think I might barf again,” Stiles added, leaning over again.

Derek put his arms around Stiles’ waist and started slowly walking them away from the doors. “Just keep taking breaths.” He started guiding them across the parking lot, the smell growing fainter the further they walked.

Stiles sat on the curb as Derek guided him down and kept breathing deeply. “You know, the car is back over there… with the stinky Sam’s club.” Stiles groaned and held his stomach, lying back on the grass. “We really need supplies.”

“We can just load up the carts in Target and bring them to the parking lot. I’ll go grab the car when we’re done.” Derek sat down next to Stiles and dropped his face into his hands. “Let’s just take a breather for a minute, then try again.”

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles agreed. “Maybe we should find a place to try and set up for a couple of days. We’ve been on the road for a while… maybe we need to take a rest after we stock up on supplies.”

“I think you’re right,” Derek said. “After we’re packed up, we can cross the Mississippi and find someplace to camp across the state line in Iowa. It shouldn’t take too long to find a remote area.”

“Yeah. Maybe we can do some hunting and make some more jerky. We’re almost out.” Stiles rubbed his stomach, still trying to settle it down as he breathed in the fresh air around them.

Derek sighed and stood up, holding his hand out to Stiles. Stiles frowned and looked at Derek’s hand before taking it and letting Derek pull him up. “Remind me to never suggest a Sam’s club again.”

Derek laughed ruefully and bent toward Stiles rubbing his cheek along Stiles’ neck, making Stiles gasp and squirm. “Come on,” he said, tugging Stiles’ hand.

Stiles gave a groan of protest, shouldered his bag and followed Derek towards the Target. “So what are we looking for? Soap is at the top of my personal list.”

“Soap would be nice,” Derek said, surreptitiously sniffing his own armpit. As he sniffed, he suddenly reared back and sneezed. “I wouldn’t say no to some deodorant too.”

Stiles laughed at that. “I’m pretty thankful that I don't have a superhuman nose. I probably wouldn't be able to stand the way I smell if I did.” He bumped his shoulder with Derek’s, giving his hand a squeeze.

Derek leaned over and took a deep whiff at the back of Stiles’ neck. “You smell unwashed, but not bad,” he said, pressing a kiss there. “I kind of like it.”

“Cause you don't smell stinky-me, you smell mate-me.” Stiles chuckled and smiled, turning to give Derek a quick kiss.

“Hmmm, maybe,” Derek said. “One thing’s for sure, you’re the only one I’d let kiss me right after throwing up.”  They had walked to the front of the Target and stopped. The doors were propped open and the smell from inside was much fainter.

Stiles was afraid to breathe as they walked into Target, not wanting a repeat of earlier. “Well… I think I’ll be able to tolerate the smell in here. So no more vomit-kisses.” He snorted and went to grab a cart and pushed it to Derek before getting one for himself. “Alright. So water, canned food, soap…” Stiles clicked his tongue as he thought about what else they needed. “Maybe a shirt.”

The cart's wheels crackled as they ran over broken glass. Thankfully, the building had been designed with windows high along the entire side of the wall, letting in lots of daylight. Derek headed to the right, in the direction of the pharmacy and grocery.  “Essentials first? Clothes after that?”

“That’s the plan,” Stiles agreed, following after Derek. “Check to see if they have any Adderall when you check the pharmacy medications. I’ll look for bandages and other supplies for my human wounds.”

The pharmacy was fairly empty of prescription medications, so it didn’t take long to look through it. Afterwards, they made their way to look for food. Again, the shelves were depressingly empty.

Derek made a face before he cast his eyes around. “Maybe they have some stock still in the back.” He nodded in the direction of the doors.  “It’s worth a look.”

Stiles sighed as he looked around the store. “Well, they have _plenty_ of Christmas trees and decorations. Too bad we can't eat those.” He nodded and went with Derek, pushing his cart along behind him. “I should get in your cart and you can push me around since ours are both empty.”

Derek chuckled and gestured to his cart.

Stiles opened his mouth and stared at Derek, raising his brows. He was about to ask if Derek was serious, but decided to hop into the cart before Derek changed his mind. “Yesssssss!” Stiles laughed.

Derek started running, pushing the cart in front of him, grinning. He weaved up and down the aisles, running faster and faster, heading for the storeroom.

Stiles had his arms thrown up, hooting as Derek ran with him in the cart, like he was a kid on a roller coaster, telling Derek to go faster until the wheels were wobbling as if they might give out.

Derek was grinning and panting as he ran harder. They didn’t have much to laugh about in their new lives, but this moment had Stiles’ gleeful shouting filling the silence around them. Derek ran towards the double doors then skidde to a stop right in front of them.

Stiles squeaked and held onto the cart tightly, trying not to flip out of it as it came to an abrupt stop. He laughed and leaned back, tilting his head to smile at Derek and pulled him down for an upside down kiss. “Thank you...” He kissed Derek again softly. “Get in and I’ll push you around the back so you can rest while we look for supplies.”

Derek hummed into Stiles’ mouth. “You’re welcome.” Stiles hopped out of the cart and Derek climbed in, grumbling. “Can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered. He sat down and rearranged himself, cocking an eyebrow at the creaking noises it made when he settled.

“Hey, don't make faces at the cart just because you weigh more than I do,” Stiles said with a chuckle and leaned in to kiss Derek’s neck, nuzzling there before he pushed Derek into the backroom.

The doors swung open, showcasing the large storeroom, piles of merchandise filling the shelves. “This is more like it,” Derek said, leaning back to smile up at Stiles. “It looks like the food’s that way.” He pointed and Stiles swerved the cart in that direction.

Stiles grinned and pushed Derek along the aisles, coming to a stop at a section near the back where there were cans of food. “Yesssss. Score!”

Derek hopped out and walked over to the shelves. He grabbed what was left on the lower shelves and tossed it into the cart. “Too bad there isn’t a ladder nearby, we could grab some of the packages up top.”

“You can't just climb up there with your werewolf-y skills?” Stiles asked, looking up the shelves and frowning. “I can try to do it if you’ll spot me.”

Derek shot Stiles a look. “You trip over nothing, sometimes. I think I’d feel more comfortable with me doing the climbing.” He pecked Stiles on the lips and started swinging himself up the shelves.

Stiles gave a huff and crossed his arms, watching Derek climb the shelves, even though Derek had a point. He shook his head and pushed the cart closer to the shelf so Derek could throw the supplies down into it. “Anything good up there?”

“It’s kind of hard to see the labels,” Derek said.  He pulled one of the boxes towards the edge of the shelf. “Could you find anything soft I can drop this on?  Like some pillows or a dog bed or something?”

“Yeah, I’ll go check.” Stiles pushed the cart out of the way and went back towards the front of the storage room. It didn't take him long to come back with several pillows and a couple of dog beds. He tossed them onto the floor and threw a comforter on top of it. “You sure you don't just want to camp out here on top of this instead of throwing stuff on it?” Stiles teased as he stepped back from the makeshift bed.

Derek snorted with laughter. “It does look like a pretty good nest,” he said, smiling. He started pulling boxes one by one, dropping them onto the pile of cushions. Stiles grabbed them and popped them into the cart. “I’m just going to grab one more. We should have plenty then.” Derek stretched himself as far as possible, before the shelves started to wobble. “Oh shit,” Derek cursed.

“Be careful,” Stiles said, putting another box into the cart. “The shelves aren't used to holding sexy muscled werewolves.”

Derek shifted minutely and the shelf started pitching worse. His foot slipped off and he fell, crashing down hard on his ass. The shelf tipped forward and smashed into the one next to it, sending boxes and cans careening to the floor with a deafening crash.

Stiles froze, turned and watched as the shelves tumbled like dominoes, cringing with each loud bang. “Derek!” he whispered loudly. “What happened to you having awesome werewolf reflexes, you know, since you like to poke fun at my clumsiness.” He moved over to help Derek up, still shocked at the knocked over shelves and supplies. “Are you okay?”

Derek rubbed at his backside, his face red. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, taking Stiles’ hand and standing up. “So much for staying low profile.”

“Uh, yeah,” Stiles said with a snort. “And so much for not having to dig through rubble for supplies.” He gave Derek’s shoulder a squeeze and looked at all the mess. “You wanna check what’s in the boxes while I look through the mess?”

"Sure," Derek said, still rubbing at his backside. He started turning the boxes over and looking at the labels, before chucking them into the cart. After a minute or so, there was a faint crashing, followed by groans. "Are you fucking kidding?" he muttered under his breath.

“What?” Stiles asked from where he was crouched under a propped up shelf. He was digging out cans and tossing them out towards Derek’s direction.

"If we're lucky, a few Infected." The noises got louder and Derek growled, shifting to his Beta form. "And I don't think we're lucky."

“How many are there?” Stiles asked, crawling out from under the shelf and grabbing the cans, tossing them into his pack before strapping it back onto himself. He pulled his knife from his boot. “Can we get out?”

Derek moved to the door and gently pushed it open.  He growled when dozens of Infected came into view, shambling their way through the shelves, kicking fallen merchandise and creating a huge racket. “Where the hell did they all come from?” Derek muttered. He let the door swing shut and turned to face Stiles. “We’re not getting out that way,” he said, running back to where Stiles was crouched and waiting.

“Well we’re not getting out with a cart either through this mess,” he said, motioning at the fallen shelves. “If we’re taking the supplies there’s only one way out. I don't even know if there is _another_ way out the back anyway.” Stiles sighed and ran a hand over his face. “What are we doing?”

“Usually storage rooms like these have loading bay doors, where trucks would unload merchandise. I could probably get one of them raised.” Derek grabbed the cart and started moving away from the doors leading to the store, maneuvering around the fallen shelves. “Try this way,” he said, beckoning for Stiles to follow him.

Stiles tried to be quiet, despite his genetic clumsiness and followed after Derek. “If you get the door open it’s going to make a lot of noise,” he whispered, looking behind them, wondering if the Infected had sniffed out their yummy alive-ness yet. Stiles winced when he tripped and banged into the back of Derek, barely missing himself and Derek with his knife. “Shit. Sorry.”

"It's okay," Derek said, reaching back with a hand to steady Stiles. "And I'd rather take my chances running across the open parking lot, than trying to go back through the store." He pointed to the large metal sheet door that had come into view. "Over there."

Stiles sighed. “Yeah, okay. You get the door and I’ll try not to fall on my face pushing the cart across the lot.” Stiles put his knife back into his boot.

Derek knelt by the door, sliding his hands under it. "When I lift this open, you start hauling ass." He grunted as he started lifting the door. "I'll be right behind you." There was a tremendous crash as several Infected forced their way through the storeroom doors, knocking more things to the already littered ground.

“You better be on my ass Hale when we go across that lot. If you get turned into a werewolf zombie I’m gonna chop your arms off and put you on a leash and force you to listen to zombie dog jokes for the rest of your zombie life.” Stiles’ heart was pounding in his ears as he heard the Infected shuffling around and groaning, getting closer to them.  The only way he could keep himself sane was to make a joke out of everything. He didn't know any other way to keep himself from freaking out. “Okay. Okay. I’m ready. Open it.”

The metal runners of the door screamed loudly in protest as Derek grunted and hauled it up to the level of his shoulders. “Run, Stiles!” The groaning of Infected grew louder as they shuffled towards the new noise. Derek clenched his jaw as his muscles shook with holding the heavy door up.

Stiles hesitated, looking behind him and then at Derek, giving him a pleading look. “You better be coming out,” Stiles said and quickly shoved the cart under the door, ducking under and started running. He hoped the noise hadn’t attracted any other Infected. He heard Derek grunt as he shoved himself under the door and let it crash to the ground.

Stiles was heaving by the time he got to the car and yanked the back door open, grabbing boxes and throwing them in. He jumped when he heard something behind him, turning with his knife in his hand, sighing out in relief when Derek gripped his wrist. “That door was loud. We should get going. Fast.”

"No arguments here," Derek muttered, helping to stow the rest of the supplies in the car.  He shoved the empty cart away and climbed into the drivers seat, waiting for Stiles to get in. "Let's head for the bridge, get across the Mississippi and find somewhere to set up camp."

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles sighed, closing his door and looking around. He tossed his bag into the backseat. “Let’s go. Let’s get somewhere more rural.”

Derek pulled the car out of the parking lot, a few shambling Infected moving aimlessly around the area. He gripped Stiles' hand and squeezed it, as they sat silently, catching their breath.

***

 _Derek_ _growled as he was shoved into a shelf, knocking canned soup all over the floor.  He tried to focus his senses to locate Stiles’ scent. They had entered the grocery store together, a little stunned at how many people were inside, fighting over what was left of the food. There was a new desperation in everyone, the realization that the world wasn’t just going to bounce back from this. And now, the two of them had been separated by the sea of bodies pulling Stiles away from him quicker than he could stop it. “Stiles!” he yelled as loudly as he could, straining to hear a reply, any reply._

_~~_

_Stiles gave his best human growl as he struggled, kicking and screaming as a large man was pinning him down. “Let me go motherfucker! I’m gonna rip your nuts off and feed them to you!” Stiles tried to get his legs under him to get enough leverage to kick the guy off, digging his nails into the back of the dude’s hands. “Let me go!”_

_The guy pressed his weight down on Stiles harder, hips grinding painfully against him. “Keep talking, little boy,” he said, biting Stiles’ neck.  “I like the sound of your voice.  Can’t wait to hear your screams. You’re a feisty little one.”_

_The guy laughed and Stiles struggled as weight was pressed against his wrists. He managed to get his knee between them enough to jerk it up and the guy groaned as Stiles got him in the nuts. Quickly, Stiles flipped over and tried to scramble away, hissing when his hand was stepped on. He shouted again when his foot was yanked, causing him to hit his face on the floor as he was dragged back. Stiles thought he heard something along the lines of ‘I like it when they’re feisty,’ but his head was swimming. He snapped back to himself as he felt the back of his belt sag, realizing that the guy must’ve cut it and felt hands pulling at his pants._

_“No! Stop! Let me go!” Stiles’ heart was pounding in his ears and the only thing he could think was that he couldn’t believe that this was happening. He couldn’t believe he was about to raped on the floor of a grocery store with tons of people around that weren’t going to help him. No one cared. They were letting it happen and Stiles wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. He shouted for Derek, even though he doubted he could hear him over the crowd. The only thing Stiles could do was act on instinct and he gathered what strength was left inside of himself. He jerked his head back, groaning as he felt it crack against the guys face. He had never felt something so painful in his life. Fuck that_ hurt _. With the guy clutching his face, Stiles flipped over dug the kitchen knife he carried with him out of his pocket. The guy lunged for him again, Stiles assumed to beat him to a pulp before he continued to try and rape him, and without thinking, Stiles struck._

_The knife plunged into the guy’s neck and Stiles stared wide-eyed when he yanked the knife out and blood spurted everywhere, the man falling on top of him._

_~~_

_Derek started fighting his way through the crowd more fiercely as Stiles’ scent grew stronger, tinged with fear and anger. He felt his fangs threatening to descend as his control got shakier. Suddenly, an overwhelming scent of blood flooded his nostrils and he rounded the corner, fangs and claws ready to tear apart whatever was threatening Stiles._

_Stiles was sitting on the floor next to a body, knees drawn up, staring at it. He was still clutching his knife tightly, knuckles white, body shaking._

_Derek froze in shock. After a moment, he felt sick to his stomach with despair. This was the second time he had come too late to help Stiles. The noise of the crowd faded away and he was left with the frantic pounding of his own heart. He dropped to his knees in front of Stiles, gently prying his hands open and taking the knife._

_Stiles jerked away from the touch, trying to clutch at the knife. “Derek?” Recognition crossed Stiles’ face and for a moment he stared before his face scrunched up and he launched himself at Derek, arms wrapping around him and burying himself against Derek’s neck._

_Derek wrapped Stiles up in his arms, fingers digging into him as if to make sure that he was real and okay. He rubbed his cheek against the top of Stiles’ head and asked, “Did he hurt you?”_

_Stiles held Derek tighter. “Almost,” he said quietly. Stiles breathed in deeply against Derek’s neck. “I killed him. He was going to rape me and I - I killed him.”_

_Derek felt his vision bleed red and he wished he could kill the scumbag again. He stood up and pulled Stiles to his feet, gripping his hand tightly. He opened his mouth to talk and a horrific scream rent the air. It sounded like pure terror._

_“Derek. What -” Stiles tightened his grip on Derek, pressing in closer as the crowd started to panic around them. Some people were screaming. Others were running and shoving each other._

_"I don't know," Derek said, trying to avoid getting smashed into again. "But I think we need to get out of here, right now." He started moving quickly towards the store entrance, the screams getting louder. His nostrils flared as a scent of sickness and decay filled the air. He had no idea what was happening, but he was starting to get even more scared. Something was horribly wrong here._

_Stiles clutched to Derek as they moved through the crowd. He stayed behind the shield of Derek’s body, people still managing to bang into him. “I wanna go home,” Stiles said, pressing against Derek’s back. “Let’s just get back to the Jeep.”_

_Derek started moving faster when the crowd thinned out a bit and he froze. The source of the decay smell was clear now. There were people, if you could call them that, shuffling in through the doors. Their skin was bloated and discolored, eyes milky and they moved laboriously, groans falling from their lips. Derek watched in horror as one of them grabbed a nearby man and bit down on their neck, tearing off a chunk of flesh. The smell of blood seemed to rouse the other creatures and they swarmed over the unfortunate man, who fell to the ground, shrieking._

_“Derek, why’d you -” Stiles banged into Derek’s back when he’d stopped and looked over Derek’s shoulder, face filled with horror at the sight. “Oh, my god. Oh my god.” Stiles’ breath started to quicken and his heart beat faster, breath coming in short bursts now. “Derek. Derek.”_

_"I don't know, I don't know!" Derek half shouted. Several people ran past the clutch of feasting... whatever they were, and made it out the doors. "They're distracted, we need to make a run for it, now!" Derek sprinted for the doors holding tight to Stiles' hand. They made it to the doors, Derek's stomach churning at the sound of the man being eaten alive. He was still screaming. Derek hit the door at full speed and slammed it open, Stiles a half step behind him._

***

_I-80, western Nebraska_

Derek winced as the screeching of metal on metal rang out. Stiles kept waving him on, so he pressed the gas harder. The plow on the front of their truck squealed again before the car he was shoving slid into the ditch. He put the truck in reverse and positioned it facing the small opening they'd made through a snarl of vehicles clogging up the interstate. "Get back in," Derek called out the window. 

“Okay Mr Grumpy-pants.” Stiles jumped back into the passenger side of the truck and checked behind them and in front of them again. “I think we can get through now. Maybe we can find somewhere to crash because you definitely need to sleep off your grumpiness.”

"I'm not that bad," Derek groused, maneuvering the truck through the newly made gap, scraping the side mirror on an overturned van. Once they were through, he accelerated, the highway now deserted in front of them. "We've got about two hours of daylight left. We can hopefully make it close to the Stateline before we have to stop."

“Good. Cause I really need to get out of this state. I’m ready for the next state already.” Stiles sighed and leaned back in the seat, running a hand over his face and tilting his neck to crack it. “I just want to get home already.” The longer it was taking them to get to Beacon Hills, the more impatient they were both getting.

"I do too," Derek sighed. The further to the west they'd gone, the more deserted everything had become. The amount of Infected they'd seen had dropped dramatically too, but they had no idea what that meant. Derek flexed his hands on the steering wheel and sped up more, determined to make some miles.

Stiles scooted over towards Derek, leaning in and resting his head on Derek’s shoulder. “If you want I can drive and wake you in a couple of hours.”

Derek raised an eyebrow as Stiles' eyes started to fall shut almost immediately. He slid his arm around Stiles' shoulder, pulling him in closer. "I'm fine," he said quietly, listening to the sound of Stiles' breathing even out.

***

Stiles grumbled as he was jiggled and sighed, trying to dip back into sleep and the warmth against him. “Five more minutes,” he mumbled, turning into Derek’s scent to breathe him in.

Derek scratched his fingers through Stiles' hair and said, "I need you to get up and look at this." Stiles opened his eyes and peered around groggily. "We might not need to sleep in the truck tonight," Derek said.

Stiles rubbed his eyes and yawned, giving another sigh and sat up. “Where are we?” he asked, frowning. It was already starting to get dark out, which meant they had been on the road at least for two hours and soon enough Stiles wouldn't be able to see his hand in front of his face without a fire.

"Still in the middle of nowhere," Derek admitted. "But that farmhouse looks worth checking out." Derek motioned to the large house just off the interstate. It looked in good shape, but deserted. "What do you think?"

Stiles had to squint to really see it, but he nodded. “Yeah. Okay. With any luck there won't be anyone in it. A bed sounds so good right about now.”

Derek put the truck back in drive, taking the next exit and circling back to the road the house was on. The driveway was long, the house, barn and outbuildings set far back, the interstate running behind it. There were no vehicles or lights. It looked well and truly empty. Derek pulled up to the front of the house and killed the engine. "Grab a weapon and let's go," Derek said, shooting Stiles a smile.

“Yeah, okay. You don't hear anyone inside?” Stiles asked, grabbing his katana and getting out of the truck. He slung it across his back, closing the truck door as quiet as possible and looking across the fields around the house. It was getting dark fast and soon enough, Stiles wouldn't be able to see anything.

"Nothing," Derek answered. He climbed the wooden steps to the porch, the creaking of the wood too loud for them to relax.  Derek tried the front door and found it unlocked.  He pushed it open, the room light enough for them to see a tidy, spacious first floor.  Stiles came in behind him, katana ready. "I still don't hear anything," Derek said.  "We're alone."

“Should probably still check the house. It’s not like the Infected breathe or anything since they’re dead. They could be dormant,” Stiles reminded Derek and looked around for something to make noise with. As they walked through the kitchen he grabbed a spoon, grimaced, and banged it on the counter a few times to see if it drew any attention to them. He froze, waiting in silence.

Derek rolled his eyes as Stiles made a racket.  "That was the best idea you had?" Derek snorted with laughter. "I don't smell anything either and if there were any Infected in here, I imagine they'd be pretty ripe." Derek moved further into the house, finding a wide staircase leading to a second floor. "Just in case, should we start at the top and work our way down?" The house itself was still silent, even after the noise from the spoon.

Stiles gave Derek an annoyed look. “Well excuse me and my lack of supernatural senses.” Stiles poked Derek with the spoon as he passed him. “And if you’re so sure there’s no one here why do we need to check the rest of the place? Your nose and ears seem to have all the answers.”

Derek shrugged guilty. "We should still recon for supplies, see if it looks like someone still lives here and will be coming back." He paused and touched Stiles' shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to criticize you. Or your methods."

“Well, they’ve helped keep us both alive so far,” Stiles said and shrugged. He twirled the spoon in his hand and started up the stairs. “Guess I’ll look around upstairs with the limited light my eyeballs can use before the sun completely goes down.”

"It looks like they have a fireplace in the living room. We'll actually get to have some light." Derek followed Stiles up the stairs and they quickly searched the bedrooms. Everything had a good coating of dust on it. Whoever lived here had been gone for a while.

Once they were done upstairs, Stiles searched the bottom level with Derek, going through the house and gathering blankets and clothes that had been left behind, shaking them of dust and raided the kitchen for what little supplies were left. Stiles placed the things in the living room and looked over at the fireplace. “Think you can get some wood? I can't really see outside anymore. I’ll get it going so we can keep warm, too. It’s a little chilly tonight.”

"Sure," Derek said, bringing Stiles' fingers to his mouth and giving the tips a quick kiss.  He headed out the backdoor from the kitchen and returned in a few minutes with an armload of firewood. “There’s a stack of firewood out back. The axe is rusty, though, so it’s been there for a while.”

Stiles gave Derek a disbelieving look at all the firewood. “Wow. I guess today is our lucky day.” He smiled and moved to take some of the wood from Derek and started making a stack inside the fireplace. After a few minutes, Stiles had the fire going and the living room was filling with a warm glow. “Yesss. Light.” Stiles chuckled softly. “You know… we should drag the mattresses from upstairs down here so we can sleep in front of the fire.”

"That sounds perfect," Derek agreed. They headed back upstairs and wrestled the mattress from the master bedroom out to the landing. "You know, when we were kids, we used to ride mattresses down the stairs. I broke my wrist once and Laura laughed her ass off."

Stiles burst out laughing himself, almost doubling over. "I would have been rolling on the floor laughing with Laura." Stiles wrangled the mattress down the stairs with Derek and maneuvered it into the clean space in front of the fireplace. "For the record, I think your family would have loved me."

"Ass," Derek grumbled, but he was smiling. He started tossing pillows and blankets onto the mattress, making a nice nest. "I'm sure they would've loved you too," Derek said, looking over his shoulder at Stiles. "In any case, I'm sure you and Laura would have had fun teaming up against me."

"Most definitely," Stiles said with a chuckle. Stiles sighed and kicked off his shoes, starting to undress. "You know, I miss having a real shower. And hot water. Technology needs to make a comeback."

"You never know what'll happen," Derek said, starting to take off his own clothes. "At the very least, maybe we can find a generator when we get back home."

“And then work on finding a renewable fuel source if we do,” Stiles said with a sigh. “I’m sure Lydia can help us with all the math and science behind that.” Stiles got a handkerchief from his bag and put a little water on it and started to clean as much dirt off of him as he possibly could.

"Now's a good a time as any to finally switch to clean energy," Derek said wryly. He flopped back onto the mattress. "I can't wait to get there. Be in our own territory again."

“Yeah. Me too,” Stiles said, tossing the handkerchief aside and climbing into bed next to Derek. He yawned, relaxing into the mattress and letting it cradle his exhausted body. “I just wanna get home. Find my dad… the pack. It’ll get better when we get back to Beacon Hills.”

Derek held his arm out so Stiles could crawl into his side. He pressed a kiss to Stiles' hair. "We should get some sleep, try to make some good distance tomorrow."

“Yeah,” Stiles mumbled, pressing a kiss to Derek’s cheek as he snuggled against his side. “I’d say maybe we should stay a few days, but if we do, we might not leave at all.”

Derek hummed in agreement as they drifted off to sleep.

*** 

Stiles stretched and sighed, pulling his blanket more onto him as he pressed against Derek’s side. A smile played on his lips as he started to wake. For the first time his back wasn't killing him from being twisted every which way trying to sleep in the truck and he wasn't waking up with a rock in his spine from sleeping on the ground in their tent. He turned his face up, kissing at Derek’s throat and rocking against his hip, hand traveling down to the band of Derek’s underwear. “Derek,” Stiles breathed, trying to rouse him as he cupped Derek’s dick through his underwear and palmed him.

Derek groaned faintly as he woke. "Good morning," he rumbled, pressing his hips up into Stiles' hand.

“Morning,” Stiles grinned, teething at Derek’s jaw line. “How’d you sleep?” Stiles kissed Derek’s neck, moving his hand to dip into Derek’s underwear, wrapping his hand around his mate’s cock and giving him a firm stroke.

"Better than I have in a while," Derek murmured. He sighed as Stiles' stroked him. "That feels good." Derek slid a hand down Stiles' back and palmed his ass, giving his cheek a firm squeeze.

“Yeah?” Stiles said, closing his mouth on Derek’s pulse point and sucking a mark into his skin. “You know what would be better? Having your dick in my mouth.”

Derek’s hips jerked in response to Stiles' words. "Sounds like the best wakeup I could ask for," Derek said, slapping Stiles' rear lightly.

“Plus, we have a bed,” Stiles whispered in Derek’s ear. “And I think we need to make use of it.” He leaned up to give Derek an open, wet kiss, rocking his dick against Derek’s hip. Stiles gave Derek’s dick a squeeze and snaked down his body, leaving a trail of kisses and nips until he reached Derek’s underwear, working them off his hips. Stiles pulled the cover back so he could see Derek before dipping down and licking across the tip of his cock, then opening his mouth and taking just the head in and sucking.

Derek’s eyes fluttered closed as he traced his fingers along Stiles' cheeks and then lips, stretched and slick with spit, groaning. "Stiles," Derek muttered, "I want to taste you too."

Stiles had half a mind to tell Derek he needed to wait, that Stiles wanted to get him begging and writhing before he let him have a taste, but Stiles couldn't help himself at the soft plea in Derek’s voice. “Yeah, okay,” Stiles breathed, pushing the blankets off of them and turning around, climbing onto Derek to offer Derek his dick. “Better?” Stiles asked, reaching down and gripping his own dick, pressing it to Derek’s lips as Stiles closed his mouth around Derek’s, taking him fully into his mouth on a groan.

Derek kissed the tip of Stiles' dick and hissed, " _Yes."_ He wasted no time in swallowing Stiles down, holding his hips tightly in both hands. Stiles hit the back of Derek’s throat and he swallowed with a groan.

Stiles whined softly, unable to thrust further into Derek’s throat at Derek’s hands holding him still and he bobbed his head quickly, slicking Derek up with spit before he pressed down and took Derek’s cock into his own throat, groaning around him to send the vibrations through Derek’s dick.

Derek pulled off of Stiles' cock and nuzzled at his balls. "Jesus, Stiles," he mumbled. "You drive me crazy." Derek sucked one of Stiles' balls into his mouth and teased it with his tongue.

Stiles groaned softly as he drew off of Derek. “Mmm, fuck. Yeah. That’s good.” Stiles pushed his fingers into his mouth, slicking them up and reached around behind Derek’s balls, rubbing them against his hole. “God, I wish you could knot me,” Stiles breathed against Derek’s dick, licking and sucking sloppily at his cockhead.

Derek moaned around Stiles' balls. He moved from Stiles' sac to bury his face between his cheeks, lapping and sucking at his hole.

"Oh, God." Stiles breathed and pressed back against Derek's face. "Please, fuck." Stiles set up an even rhythm, sucking Derek down hungrily and pressing against his hole, working his fingers into him.

Derek methodically worked his tongue past Stiles' rim, and moved his hand to Stiles' cock, stroking him steadily as Stiles whimpered above him.

Stiles was caught between pressing back into Derek's tongue and swallowing down Derek's dick as he twisted his wrist and crooked his fingers to nail them against Derek's prostate again. He pulled off of Derek with a wet pop. "Fuck. If you keep doing that I'm gonna come on your face."

Derek pulled back and set his teeth in Stiles' butt cheek, biting down slightly. "I'm okay with that," he said, voice hoarse. “Considering I'm about thirty seconds from coming on yours.” He clenched his ass around Stiles' fingers and groaned. "Fuck, what you do to me." He sped up his hand, rubbing his thumb over the head of Stiles' cock, spreading the precome around.

“Mmmmm, fuck. Wait, wait. I wanna come on your cock. Fuck. Just need to finger me open so I can ride you.” Stiles buried his face against the base of Derek’s dick, nuzzling there and breathing him in, stroking his fingers over Derek’s prostate more firmly as he milked Derek’s dick for more precome.

"Fuck, okay, okay," Derek breathed. "But, god, you're going to have to get your fingers out of me, or this is over before I'm inside you." He gently rolled them until Stiles was under him and whined a little as Stiles' fingers slipped free. Derek shifted to grab Stiles' bag, sifting through the pockets. He pulled out a bottle of lube and turned back, groaning at the sight of Stiles laid out, lazily stroking his own cock. Derek ran his hand over Stiles' chest, pinching one of his nipples. "So gorgeous," he murmured.

Stiles grinned, laughing softly and pulling Derek down into a needy kiss. “When we get home, I’m gonna fuck you,” he promised. “We’ll find a place that’s safe enough where we can forget everything for a little while.” Stiles knew they were always on edge, but he wanted Derek to be able to lose himself completely like they’d been able to do before the world fell apart. “Then you’re gonna fucking breed me for a week like a bitch in heat.” Stiles kissed Derek again then pulled his leg up to open himself for Derek.

 _"Stiles,"_ Derek moaned into his mouth. "God, I want that. All of it." Derek sat back on his heels and squirted lube into his palm, getting his fingers nice and slick. After the rimming, it didn't take long before Derek had three fingers buried deep in Stiles, stroking and twisting. He gently pulled his fingers out and slicked his dick, guiding it into Stiles and sliding home with one deep thrust.

Stiles groaned, reaching out for Derek and pulling him down flush against him. “Derek,” he breathed against his lips, wrapping arms and legs around him. “God, fuck. Never gonna get enough of you stretching me on your cock.” Stiles dug blunt nails into Derek’s shoulder, rocking up against him and dug his heel into the small of Derek’s back, trying to get him to move.

"Good." Derek smirked. "Wouldn't want you to get bored."

Stiles smacked Derek on the back of his head. “Shut up. Ass.” He chuckled and kissed him.

Derek started a slow, deep rhythm. He met Stiles' lips for a gentle kiss, before burying his face in Stiles' neck, breathing wetly against his skin.

Stiles moaned softly, eyes squeezing shut as he focused on the feeling of Derek's dick sliding into him. He buried his face against Derek's shoulder, kissing and sucking and teething there, trying to leave his mark. "God, Derek."

Derek shuddered, increasing the pace of his thrusts. "If I'm not mistaken," he grunted. "I thought there was talk about riding." He pulled back and smiled down at Stiles before leaning close and nipping at his plump lower lip.

Stiles leaned up, nipping Derek's lips back. "Well if you didn't hold me down like a werewolf Neanderthal every time I try to flip you over just to prove your awesome supernatural strength, I could flip you." Stiles snorted and tried to turn Derek to prove a point and couldn't.

"Well, if I didn't have my supernatural strength, I don't know if I could fuck you against a wall anymore," Derek said, smirking again.  He slid his arms under Stiles' shoulders and rolled them easily.

Once Stiles was on top of Derek and sinking back onto his cock, he smacked Derek’s chest. “I am _not_ that heavy.” He leaned down and kissed Derek, giving Derek’s nipple a tweak.

Derek huffed out a laugh, kissing Stiles back. "Of course not," he said, resting his hands on Stiles' hips. He held them still and snapped his hips up hard.

Stiles groaned, face twisting with pleasure when Derek snapped his hips again. “Oh, fuuckk.” Stiles raised himself and sank back down onto Derek’s dick, whining softly as he braced a hand on Derek’s chest. “God, your dick is so fucking amazing.” Stiles started rolling his hips, beginning a slow, torturous place.

“ _You’re_ amazing,” Derek replied. “You feel so good. Never get tired of being inside you.”  Derek scratched his nails down Stiles’ thighs, watching the skin pink up, and rolled his hips gently, meeting Stiles’ movements.  

“Good. Wouldn't want you to get bored,” Stiles said, echoing Derek’s words back to him and snorting a laugh. He whimpered softly against Derek’s lips, kissing him deeply as he swiveled his hips and ground down hard against Derek, trying to coax Derek’s knot into swelling. “You know I can ride you all day,” Stiles breathed, rising and falling back onto Derek’s dick to take him in deep. “Fuck.”

Derek laughed quietly as Stiles kissed him. He slid his arms around Stiles’ back and held him close, stroking up and down his spine, planting his feet on the mattress and thrusting up. As Stiles clenched around his dick, Derek increased the speed of his hips. “Stiles,” he murmured. “Want you to come with me.”

“No coming until you knot me,” Stiles panted, moaning softly against Derek’s lips and shoving his ass down hard against Derek’s thrusts. He hissed and buried his face against Derek’s neck when Derek pounded against his prostate. Stiles threaded his fingers through Derek’s hair, pulling his head back to lick and suck dark marks into the skin of Derek’s jugular. “Knot me, Derek. Gonna come on your knot.”

“God, Stiles,” Derek moaned, grabbing Stiles’ ass and pulling his cheeks apart, thrusting even deeper. The base of Derek’s cock started to swell and he dug his fingers in hard.  “It’s coming.” He ground against Stiles, growling, “Come for me, Stiles. Wanna feel you milking me.”

Stiles groaned loudly as Derek’s knot started to swell inside of him, stretching him wide and pushing against all of his sensitive places. “Oh, god. Oh, fuck. Derekkkk.” Stiles whined, grinding down hard against Derek’s hips, ass squeezing tight. Stiles shuddered as his orgasm hit, closing his mouth on Derek’s neck and biting so hard that warm copper filled his mouth, fingers twisting in Derek’s hair to keep him steady as he rode out his orgasm.

Derek howled, every muscle in his body seizing. His cock pulsed and emptied itself into Stiles. They stayed locked together, clinging tightly as the waves of pleasure washed over them. Every sense was overwhelmed with _mate_. As their orgasms passed, Derek murmured Stiles’ name over and over, like a prayer.

Sometime later, Stiles started to stir and smiled against Derek’s neck, nuzzling against it as he opened his mouth to kiss over the healing mark there. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “Didn't mean to fall asleep on your knot.” Stiles was warm and relaxed, still wrapped around Derek as he laid on top of him. “Mmm, I’m leaking.”

"It's okay," Derek whispered. His dick twitched and spurted more come. Derek dragged a finger down Stiles' crack and teased at his stretched rim. "Too bad we don't have a plug," he mused. "Keep you stuffed full and reeking of me."

Stiles laughed softly, leaning up to press a kiss against Derek’s lips. “Another reason to get home. I’m sure there are plugs stashed in my closet back at my dad’s house. We’ll have to raid it when we get there for future use.” Stiles smiled and nuzzled back against Derek’s neck, enjoying the feeling of Derek’s fingers petting over his hole, Derek’s knot still tight within him and keeping him full. Stiles traced his fingers almost absently along Derek’s bicep, taking in his mate’s scent. “I love you,” he breathed quietly, trying to swallow down the emotion that was starting to bubble up inside of him.

"I love you so much," Derek said, tightening his grip on Stiles. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You're my anchor, the reason I haven't just rolled over and given up." Derek guided Stiles' head up so he could look him in the eyes. "You're all I need."

Stiles nodded, sniffling back the tears that started to swell, throat tightening against the words that couldn't come out. “Just don't leave me,” he begged softly, pressing a pleading kiss against Derek’s lips. Stiles didn't let himself feel vulnerable often, but something about this moment felt different. He’d done his best to try and ignore the growing distance between them and more than anything, Stiles was afraid of losing Derek.

Derek whined in the back of his throat as Stiles' misery radiated off of him in waves. "Never, Stiles, _never,"_ Derek said fiercely, bringing his hands up to cup Stiles' face, meeting his straightforward gaze. Derek’s eyes started to water, matching the tears shining in Stiles' eyes. "Don't ever think it." He pressed their lips together almost desperately.

Stiles kissed Derek, clutching at his face, pressing his forehead against Derek’s when they parted. Stiles took a deep, shaky breath. He didn't know what to say, how to explain to Derek that he already felt like he was losing him, that somehow it felt like Derek was leaving even though he was physically with him, so Stiles tightened his grip on Derek and buried his face against Derek’s neck. “Just stay with me. Please,” he begged softly. “I need you.”

"I'll stay forever," Derek promised. "I want to spend my life waking up with you in my arms." Derek’s cock softened and he pulled out with a grimace, shifting Stiles closer and rolling them to their sides. "You and me, that's all I want." He brushed a tear from Stiles' cheek with his thumb.

Stiles knew Derek meant it, that he was trying to be comforting, but the ache inside of him didn't ease and he wrapped his arms around Derek, pressing another kiss against his lips as his tears started falling freely. “Sometimes I feel like you’re already gone… that you’re on autopilot and that you left me,” he confessed.

Derek kissed away Stiles' tears. "I’m here. I promise… We've lost so much, the world has come down around us, and it feels like it'll never be over. I'll lose you too and have nothing. No pack, no family, no reason to keep going." Derek buried his face in Stiles' chest. "I can't lose you, I _can't."_

“And you don't think I feel exactly the same way every waking moment?” Stiles asked quietly, closing his eyes and burying his face into Derek’s hair, smoothing a hand down Derek’s back. “You’re all that I have Derek. You’re the only thing that I have. You can't check out on me.”

"What do I have to do?" Derek asked, voice muffled by Stiles' chest. "Tell me, please. Whatever you need, Stiles. Always." Derek’s voice broke on the last word and he sucked in a shaky breath. 

Stiles wiped his tears on Derek’s hair, sniffling against him and sighing softly. “Just come back to me from wherever it is you’re going. Wherever you disappear to sometimes. I know it’s been hard on both of us, but I’m here for you too. You don't have to do it alone.”

"I'm scared," Derek whispered. "I'm so scared." It seemed like something inside of Derek gave way and a sob burst from him. Derek dissolved into tears and clutched at Stiles, chest heaving.

Stiles held onto Derek tightly, refusing to let him go and trying to piece him back together in his arms, as if he squeezed hard enough all the pieces would meld back together again. Stiles cried into Derek’s hair silently, managing to breathe, “I’m here. I’m here.” He wasn't sure how long they laid there, the grief and despair they'd held onto pouring down their faces.

Derek breathed shakily, "Should we just sleep... for a few minutes?"

“Yeah,” Stiles mumbled, eyes already closed, arms still wrapped around Derek. His face hurt. “Think we should just lay here for a bit. Can get up in a few minutes.” Stiles tightened his arms around Derek more, afraid that if he let go they’d lose the moment and Derek would disappear. It didn't take long for them to drift off into a deep, exhausted sleep, still clinging to each other’s bodies, unwilling to let each other go.

***

 _Stiles_ _clung to Derek as they left the store, trying to stick together as the crowd pushed and shoved around them. People were screaming and things that looked like rotting people,_ corpses really, _were walking around and biting off chunks of live flesh. Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand as he was shoved, trying not to break down and have a panic attack right in the middle of the street._

_It was chaos outside the store, the noise surrounding them on all sides.  Derek looked around frantically as if trying to remember where they’d left the Jeep. He started tugging Stiles’ hand as they ran down the parking lot. “This way!” he yelled. They spotted the Jeep a few meters away and started sprinting. There was a loud screeching of brakes and screaming metal as cars swerved to avoid the walking corpses streaming through the streets. Derek watched with a look of horror on his face as a large truck hit the curb and flew into the parking lot, smashing into the Jeep, along with multiple other cars. The Jeep flipped onto it’s side and slid into a light pole, throwing up sparks._

_Stiles stood there, frozen, looking at his destroyed Jeep. He couldn't move, even with people rushing and screaming around them, in shock. His started to stumble as Derek pulled him and he followed on autopilot, not even sure where they were going. “Derek. Derek!” Stiles felt like the world was closing in on him and he was suffocating, starting to pull Derek back as he slid to the ground, pressing his back up against the wall of a building._

_Derek stopped as he swung his gaze in every direction, but no one was paying them attention.  He crouched down next to Stiles, gripping his hand tightly between his own.  “Stiles, you need to breathe, focus on me.” Derek used his other hand to rub circles on Stiles’ back. “Breathe with me, I know you can. I’m right here, I’m right here.”_

_“I - I c-can’t. Derek… Derek.” Stiles tried to focus on Derek, clutching at him, trying to focus on the sound of his voice, Derek’s proximity, Derek’s touch, but everything was overwhelming and Stiles pulled Derek closer, trying to bury himself against Derek’s chest, breathing in the scent of mate and home._

_Derek pulled Stiles close, his eyes flashing and fangs starting to descend. He grabbed one of Stiles’ hands and placed it on his own chest. “Feel my heart, Stiles,” he said thickly, around his fangs. “Focus on the rhythm.  Breathe with it.” Derek kept murmuring to Stiles and stroking his hair, even as the corpses crept closer._

_The beating of Derek’s heart started to soothe Stiles as he breathed in time with it, taking in his mate’s scent. Stiles calmed, slowly coming back to himself as his breathing and heartbeat normalized. “I’m okay,” he assured Derek. “I’m okay.” He squeezed Derek’s hand hard, eyes darting around them again. “We need to get home. And fast. Those things are eating people.”_

_“You’re okay, you’re okay,” Derek muttered. He stood up and pulled Stiles to his feet.  The ground suddenly shook as a large explosion flared in the distance. Derek’s shift rippled over him fully with the growing threat. “We’re going to have to run.” He crouched down and motioned to his back. “I can carry you and still run faster than those things, or other people.”_

_Stiles looked around them and back at Derek, then to Derek’s back. “I’m so never going to hear the end of this,” he muttered and clambered onto Derek’s back, wrapping his legs round Derek’s waist and arms around Derek’s shoulders. “You better not drop me or let anything bite me or I’m gonna rip your throat out with my undead teeth.”_

_Derek let out a semi-hysterical laugh, adjusting his grip under Stiles’ legs.  “Hold on,” he said, and took off running._

_Less than fifteen minutes later, they’d reached Stiles’ apartment building. Once they’d gotten clear of the grocery store, the amount of corpses had dwindled and people had been too worried about themselves to pay much mind to the fact that Derek had been running with superhuman speed. He put Stiles down and looped an arm around his waist, moving quickly up the stairs to the door of the apartment, fumbling with the keys and letting them in._

_Stiles reached out and steadied Derek’s hand, taking the keys from him, and shoved the key into the door. Once they were inside, Stiles slammed the door behind them and locked it, twisting all the deadbolts and grabbing a chair to push up under the knob. He breathed out, trying to keep his breath calm as he watched the door. “So it’s happening, then,” he said quietly into the room. “I mean, I never thought - we haven't seen the news reports in a while…” Stiles shook his head and went to sit down on the couch, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his face against them._

_Derek scrubbed a hand over his face and sat down next to Stiles on the couch. “I seem to recall our wonderful government telling us that reports of resurrections were ‘ludicrous and false’.” He flopped his head back on the couch. “Those walking corpses looked fucking real to me.” Stiles started shaking next to him and Derek pulled him close, tucking Stiles under his arm._

_“They were eating people, Derek,” Stiles whispered into Derek’s side as he wrapped his arms around him and held him close. “It didn't look like those things were just attacking people… they were actually eating them. They were walking corpse cannibals. What the actual fuck.” Stiles drew in a deep breath, burying his face against Derek, trying to keep himself calm even as his heart started beating faster, pounding in his ears. “I don't think we should go outside again.” Even though he knew that would be nearly impossible, because they needed supplies to survive._

_“What is happening?” Derek said quietly, pulling Stiles closer. He heaved out a shaky breath. “Whatever we do, we’re going to have to be smart about it. We have enough food and water to last us a week. We can try to figure out what to do before then.” Derek fell silent then started to shake too, clutching at Stiles desperately. So much had happened in such a short time._

_For several minutes Stiles just clung to Derek, eyes squeezed shut, trying to forget the images of people being eaten and everything else that had happened in the grocery store. He clutched at Derek’s shirt, but at the caked feeling on his hand, he released him and looked down at his hand. Stiles pulled away and hurried to the restroom, doubling over and hurling into the toilet at the reminder that he’d killed someone. And their blood was all over his hands and clothes._

_“Stiles?” Derek darted in after him just in time to see Stiles evacuating his stomach into the toilet bowl again. He dropped to his knees behind Stiles, rubbing his back in gentle circles. He murmured in low tones and kept up the gentle motions until Stiles finished, forehead pressed to the lid, gasping. Derek reached for the handle and flushed the toilet, maneuvering Stiles so they were back to chest, as he reached up and brushed the sweaty hair off Stiles’ forehead. “I’ve got you,” he mumbled into Stiles’ neck._

_“Get it off of me,” Stiles pleaded, holding up his hands to show Derek the blood. He whined and wiped his hands on his dirty shirt, but it only the caked blood worse because it was on his shirt as well. Stiles started pulling at his shirt, trying to get it off of himself. “Derek,” he begged, not sure what he was begging for, but he needed help._

_Derek held Stiles’ hands in one of his own and turned the tap on the bathtub. Water gushed out and Derek looked thankful that whatever was happening, at least they still had water and power. He started the shower and pulled Stiles to his feet. “Just hold onto me,” he said, working quickly to undress Stiles. He bundled up the dirty clothes and threw them out of the bathroom. Derek quickly stripped off his own clothes and helped Stiles into the shower, pulling the curtain shut. The water swirling down the drain turned pink as Derek gently massaged Stiles hands with a washcloth. He lathered up the cloth with soap and went to work on the creases and nails, not stopping until every trace of blood was gone._

_Stiles buried himself against Derek once his hands were released as the water washed over them, cleaning away the grime and pain and despair that was coursing through both Stiles and Derek. The only thing Stiles could do was cling to Derek and sob into his chest._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -There is some triggery content in the flashbacks this chapter. During the collapse of society, Derek and Stiles are in a grocery store for supplies and a man attempts to rape Stiles. In the confusion, no one helps him and he takes it upon himself, stabbing the would be rapist in the neck and killing him.
> 
> -There's also an instance of zombies eating a person alive, but the gore isn't graphically described.
> 
> -Stiles has two panic attacks, once immediately exiting the store, again when they're home. 
> 
> Flashback are in italics again, if you need to skip.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See end notes for explanations of potentially disturbing/triggering content.

Derek grunted as he hauled the large galvanized tub through the front door of the farmhouse. "Did you make room in front of the fireplace?" he called to Stiles and heard him answer yes. He turned sideways to get through the archway and dropped the tub with a loud clang onto the hardwood floor. "It's going to take ages to fill this up, but I think a hot bath will be worth it, don't you?"

“That looks like a trough,” Stiles said and looked between the tub and Derek. “Are you sure you didn't steal that from some poor stray farm animals outside?”

"I'm pretty sure it is," Derek admitted. "But whatever animals that used it are long gone." He motioned to the back door. "There's also a well outside and plenty of metal buckets. We should be able to get enough water in here to fill it."

Stiles gave a sound of protest. “This should be strong werewolf work. Not weak human work.” Stiles walked to the back door and pushed it open, heading outside and grabbing a couple of buckets. “How many buckets do you think we need to fill that tub up?”

"I'm not sure," Derek said. "Let's just see how it goes." It ended up taking over an hour and Derek didn't even want to count how many buckets, but they eventually had the tub full of gently steaming water.

Derek climbed in and bit back a moan as the heat caressed his skin, loosening his muscles. He sat back and smiled up at Stiles. "You coming in, or what?"

“I guess bathing in a trough isn’t any worse than a stream,” Stiles said with a chuckle, stripping off his clothes and climbing in, settling in front of Derek. “Jesus,” he breathed, relaxing back against Derek. “I can't remember the last time we had a warm bath.”

"At least six months ago," Derek said, running his fingers up and down Stiles' chest. He remembered the freezing apartment, no heat, water or light. Derek shook off the memories and focused on Stiles. He let his mind drift, surprised at how relaxed he felt.

“Mmm, probably longer than that,” Stiles said. He smiled and leaned his head back onto Derek’s shoulder, turning to place a gentle kiss on Derek’s jawline. “God, it feels so good to have warm water.” Stiles sighed, running his hands over Derek’s thighs and closed his eyes.

"Stiles," Derek murmured, "I've been thinking. About this morning and just - our lives, in general." He felt Stiles tense a little in his arms. "I think we should start a list of things we want to do. Things we can look forward too after we get home."

“You mean things that don't involve running for our lives, killing Infected and always being on the move?” Stiles turned his head to kiss Derek’s jaw again, nuzzling against him. “I’m ready for that,” Stiles whispered. “I’m ready to get home and ready to try to have as much as a normal life as we can.”

"That's exactly what I mean," Derek said. "We had plans before. If we start making them again... maybe the future won't seem so hopeless." He started massaging his fingers on Stiles' scalp. "I'm not ready to give up on the rest of our lives."

“Me neither,” Stiles said softly, closing his eyes again, relaxing into Derek’s touch. “We should make a farm. We could have chickens for eggs and maybe ducks and find a cow or goat.” Stiles snorted out a quiet laugh. “And make a garden for veggies and fruits so we don't have to scavenge.”

"I'd like that," Derek said, amused. "Animals know how to survive, I'm sure we could find some." He thought again of the house that was waiting for them back in Beacon Hills. "I want to tell you something else."

“Hmm? Tell me what?” Stiles moved his hand up to trace over the back of Derek’s neck, gently scratching his fingers through Derek’s hair. “Are you going to tell me you’re not going to run around and catch me chickens?” Stiles teased.

Derek huffed out a laugh. "No, that's not it." He shifted, tilting his head as Stiles tugged his hair. "For the past few years, while you've been in college, I've been working on something. It was going to be a surprise, but if we're going to plan for the future, maybe now is a good time."

Stiles’ face scrunched up, brows furrowing as he opened his eyes and turned his face to look at Derek. “What is it?” he asked curiously. “I mean, I’m sure I’ll like it, either way.”

"Actually," Derek cleared his throat. "I built us a house."

Stiles stared at Derek with a look of disbelief and surprise showing openly on his face. “You - really? Like, a house-house?” When Derek nodded, Stiles leaned in and pressed a kiss to Derek’s lips.

Derek kissed back, stroking his fingertips along Stiles' jaw. "I built it on some land by the preserve. Not where... well, the old house was. Someplace new, just for us."

Stiles’ face was alight with the news, eyes bright and hopeful, lips curved in a smile. “So… I mean… you, uh - you made sure to have extra rooms for -”

"For a family, yeah," Derek finished. The look on Stiles' face was worth not keeping the house a secret anymore. "And they'll be plenty of room for a garden outside, animals we'd like to keep. We can build a life there."

Stiles was quiet for several moments, his face slowly falling. “What if we can't have a family?” Stiles asked quietly. “I mean, it’s not like we can exactly go out and adopt now. The world is different.”

Derek cupped Stiles' face, rubbing a thumb over his lips. "You never know. The world is different, but that doesn't mean it won't go on."

“There’s not really a point if it doesn't go on,” Stiles agreed, kissing Derek’s thumb as it brushed over his lips again. “I want to get home and start our life. I just - I want to stop running.”

“Me too,” Derek whispered. “God, me too.” He rested his forehead against Stiles’ temple. “We’ll get there.”

“Yeah,” Stiles said softly. “We will.”  


~~  


After the bath and getting dressed, Derek nudged Stiles’ shoulder. “When I was looking for the tub, I found something.” At Stiles’ raised eyebrow, Derek just took his hand and tugged him towards the door. “Just trust me.”

Stiles gave Derek an apprehensive look. “The last time you said that we ended up getting chiggers,” Stiles said as he followed Derek anyway.

The sun was still high in the sky and Derek hadn’t put shoes on as they walked outside. “It was too dark last night to see this, but look.” He stopped and pointed to a sizeable berry patch behind the house.

Stiles’ face lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “Holy crap! There are more berries here than we can possibly eat.” Stiles kissed Derek and took off to the patch in a jog, instantly grabbing a handful of berries, sniffed them, then shoved them into his mouth with a moan.

Derek followed Stiles, but went for the strawberries first. “I don’t think anything has ever tasted this good,” he moaned, licking the juice off of his lips as he ate a handful.

Stiles snorted a laugh. “I’m sure last night you would’ve said something differently,” he teased with a mouthful of berries. He picked several more and walked over to Derek, handing them to him.

Derek laughed and then coughed, banging at his chest. Stiles pounded his back until he quit coughing and Derek’s cheeks tinted red. “Thanks,” he muttered, taking the berries from Stiles and tossing them into his mouth. Stiles’ lips were already purple, and his hands weren’t much better, a grin on his face. Derek smiled back.

Stiles picked several strawberries and ate one, moaning with each bite. “I think we should definitely grow strawberries and blueberries and any kind of edible berries when we get home. I could get used to having these around all the time.” He offered Derek a strawberry, holding it up to his lips.

Derek took a bite and hummed. “Agreed,” he said, his mouth full. “We’re just going to have a raid a library and find _Gardening for Dummies_ or something.”

Stiles squinted his eyes, giving Derek a glare. “Hey! I think I’m completely capable of growing berries. If they grow by themselves there’s no way I can kill them.” Stiles shoved the strawberry he was holding against Derek’s lips and it mushed against Derek’s face. Stiles laughed.

Derek sputtered as bits of strawberry went up his nose and Stiles laughed louder. Derek glowered at him and grabbed two strawberries, then clapped his hands to the sides of Stiles’ face, squishing them against Stiles’ cheeks.

Stiles gasped as the juice and mashed fruit ran down his face, taking the handful of blueberries he had and squeezed them before shoving them into the collar of Derek’s shirt, laughing at the look on Derek’s face. “You’re going to be purple,” Stiles said, laughing harder and rubbed his purple stained hand against Derek’s beard.

“Well then,” Derek said seriously, “fair’s fair.”  He swept his foot behind Stiles’ legs, tumbling him to the ground. Derek straddled Stiles’ hips and shoved his shirt up to his armpits, capturing Stiles’ wrists in one hand.

Stiles futilely struggled against Derek’s hands and chuckled, grinning up at him. “Well, then. If you wanted to hold me down to ride my cock all you had to do was say so.”

Derek raised his eyebrows. “That’s what you think is going to happen, huh?” He tsked and reached for more strawberries, stripping them off the plants and smashing them on Stiles’ stomach, smearing them around as Stiles shook with laughter. Derek dug his fingers into Stiles’ side where Stiles was most ticklish.

Stiles couldn't stop laughing, even as he tried to flail around under Derek, still being held down by Derek’s hand against his wrists and the weight of Derek on top of him. “Cheating! You’re cheating with your werewolf strength!” Stiles squealed as Derek’s fingers dug harder into his side.

“Gotta use what I’ve got, don’t’ I?” Derek asked, bending down to scrape his beard on Stiles’ neck, leaving more stickiness behind. Stiles’ hips heaved and Derek rolled to the side. Before Stiles could grab him, he stood up and backed further into the patch, grinning widely. “You coming to get me?” he asked teasingly.

“Oh, you’re on wolfman,” Stiles said as he stood, grabbing fistfuls of blueberries. “You’re gonna be a purple werewolf by the time I’m done with you. For weeks!” Stiles grabbed as many blueberries as he possibly could hold and walked towards Derek, following him into the patch. “You can’t run away with your werewolf speed!”

“Not going to happen!” Derek called back, turning and starting to run through the patch. Almost immediately he started getting hung up on the overgrown plants, his bare feet slowing him down.

Stiles hurried after Derek, hopping easily over plants in his pursuit. “Purple!” he shouted after Derek with his promise. Stiles made a hard left and cut through the patch on a diagonal to intersect Derek, giving a war cry and launching himself, smashing berries on Derek’s face and neck as he clung to him, laughing.

Derek grabbed Stiles around the waist and took them both down as they rolled to a stop. “So much for that bath earlier.” Stiles smiled up at Derek, both their chests heaving with exertion and laughter. Derek bent down and kissed Stiles softly.

Stiles took that moment to shift his weight and turn Derek over onto his back, grinning against his lips and laughed. “Mmm, well. Good thing about all these berries is that now that they’re mashed against such a tasty werewolf, I get to eat them off of you.”

“Sounds good to me,” Derek murmured, tilting his head back and exposing the line of his throat. He groaned as Stiles licked his way up the side of his neck, before his eyes flew open at a sudden creaking sound.  “Stiles!” Derek yelled as the bottom fell out from under them. Derek hit the ground and there was a sickening crack before Stiles landed on his chest, punching the breath out of him.

Stiles groaned and rolled off of Derek, clutching at his side where Derek’s arm had punched into him. “Oh my god. What the -” He forced his eyes open and saw open air above them. “We’re in a fucking hole?!” Stiles sat up and looked over at Derek, face stricken with horror. “Oh my god, Derek!” Stiles reached for Derek’s leg and applied pressure where a large piece of wood had punctured through his thigh. “Shit.”

Derek lay unmoving, looking up at the clear blue sky above them. “Can’t be that bad,” he said, “I don’t even feel anything.” He tried to prop himself on his elbows, but the lower half of his body didn’t move. A look of horrified realization crossed Derek’s face. “Stiles,” he whispered, “I think I broke my back.”

“What?” Stiles asked, shocked then shook his head. “No. We didn't fall far enough -” He pressed against Derek’s leg, trying to figure out how he was going to get it out without Derek bleeding to death. “Your leg will heal up and then we can get outta here.”

“Stiles,” Derek said, louder. “I heard something crack and I can’t move my legs. I can’t even feel that.” He gestured at the large chunk of wood in his leg. “I had to have severed my spine.”

Stiles swallowed against the thickness of his throat, shaking his head again, raising a hand to brush against his cheek to remove sticky berry juice only to leave a smear of Derek’s blood behind. “Will it heal?” he asked quietly, mind racing as he tried to figure out how he was going to get Derek out of this hole with a broken back.

“It should,” Derek said. “I’ve never had anything not heal before.” He shifted a little, still looking unnerved at the dead weight of his legs. “My guess is it’ll take a few hours.”

Stiles took a slow breath and gave a nod as he tried to control the panic he felt building up inside of him. “I need to get this out of your leg so I can at least make you more comfortable until it heals.” He pulled his shirt off and took his knife out of his boot so he could cut it up to make a tourniquet for Derek’s leg.

“Hang on,” Derek muttered, using his arms to propel himself to the edge of the pit. Stiles helped him get settled in an upright position, so he could use his hands to help. He extended his claws and sliced his pants open around the wood, tearing it away, the denim making a wet sound as it ripped.

“I guess it’s a plus that you won’t be able to feel it,” Stiles said, tying Derek’s leg above and below the wound. “Cause it’s gonna hurt really bad.” Stiles frowned as he looked at the puncture. “I think it went through bone.”

“Do you need me to pull it out?” Derek asked. “If it’s stuck in the bone?” Stiles looked pale, but determined.

“Don’t make me barf on your leg,” Stiles warned and cringed as he gripped Derek’s leg. “Okay. On three. One, two -” Stiles yanked hard, dislodging Derek’s leg from the wood and applied pressure quickly with the remnants of his shirt. “We are never falling in a damn hole again.”

“Ugh, let’s hope this is the first and last time falling into holes happens.” Derek said with a grimace and put his hands on top of Stiles’ to add pressure, blood seeping up between their fingers.

Stiles tried to add pressure to the underside of Derek’s leg too. “Oh, god. I think I’m gonna have to move your leg. Pretty sure I feel bone sticking out.” Stiles stomach rolled at that. “Starting to think that not being able to feel this has to be a gift right about now.”

“Oh, Christ,” Derek grunted, fingers slick with blood. The flow seemed to be lessening slightly, which was a good sign. “Do your worst,” he said.

Stiles’ face twisted in disgust as he pushed his fingers into Derek’s wound, pushing bone back under flesh and into place. “If you were human you would be dead.” Stiles wrapped his shirt around Derek’s leg and tied it tight, blood seeping through the fabric. “Let’s hope it heals quickly.” Stiles wiped his hands on his jeans and sighed, moving to sit back against the wall next to Derek.

“Well,” Derek said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, “Chalk one up to the benefits of being a creature of the night.”  After a moment he asked, “Do you think the people who lived here had this set up to catch Infected?”

“Probably,” Stiles sighed again, looking up at nothing but sky. “It’s near the berries. Maybe they had it as a safety thing if they were attacked while picking fruit.”

“Makes sense,” Derek said, resting his hands in his lap. He sighed. “Looks like we’ve got a few hours to kill. I don’t suppose you’re hiding a deck of cards down your pants?”

Stiles snorted a laugh. “Uh, no. But I’ve got a snack for you,” he teased and wiggled his brows, then picked some smeared strawberry off of his stomach and handed it to Derek. “We won't starve.”

“My hero,” Derek deadpanned. He wrapped his arm around Stiles and pulled him to his side, flicking the strawberry off Stiles’ hand and licking his fingers clean. “Maybe we should get a little sleep. Get some energy back.”

“I should probably stay awake,” Stiles said, tucking himself against Derek’s side more. “You should rest so you’ll heal faster. I’ll keep watch.”

“Okay,” Derek mumbled. “Love you.” He let his eyes start to drift shut, Stiles’ body warm at his side.

“Love you too,” Stiles said quietly, sending up a silent prayer to whatever powers there may be that Derek’s back healed and they could get out of this goddamn hole.

***

Derek blinked awake quickly, the sound of voices bringing him back to consciousness faster than a bucket of cold water. He tried to move and was dismayed that he could only twitch his legs weakly. _At least I started healing_ , he thought gratefully. Stiles was lying next to him, staring up at the rim of the hole. “Do you hear that?” Derek whispered.

Stiles tilted his head as if he were straining his hearing, brows furrowing. He looked at Derek. “I hear something,” he whispered back. “Can you move?”

“Just a little,” Derek said, making his feet shift in demonstration. “And I hear voices.  At least three men, maybe more.” They were coming closer, but Derek couldn’t make out words yet.

“Great,” Stiles muttered, looking down at his half clothed, berry-smeared skin. “Maybe they’ll pass us by,” he added, moving up onto his knees to check Derek’s leg. “Looks like it’s almost fully healed. We just have to wait for your back to patch up.”

“When are we ever that lucky?” Derek mumbled. As if fate heard him, the men’s voices came into focus.

“Shit, Tom, look at the hole!” 

There was a pause and a second man replied, “Probably just another couple rotters. Should check it out.”

Derek growled and his eyes flashed. “They’re coming this way,” he said tightly.

“Shit.” Stiles sighed and scooted back against the wall next to Derek, as if it would keep him hidden. “What are we gonna do?”

“Just… don’t panic yet,” Derek said, trying to reign himself in. A few moments later, the silhouettes of four young men peered over the edge of the hole. Derek couldn’t see the expression on their faces because they were backlit by the sun.

“Holy shit, you kidding me?” one of them breathed, and was promptly smacked by one of the other men on the back of the head.

“Are you hurt?” called the man who’d done the smacking.

“Not badly,” Derek replied.

“I’m Tom,” the man answered, “and this is Steve, Zach and Greg.” He gestured to each man in turn and they offered waves. “What do you say we help you out of that hole?”

Stiles held his hand up as if trying to see the men better and drew in a slow breath. “You know, I think we’re good down here. It’s comfy.”

Tom snorted. “Somehow, I doubt that.” He gestured to one of the other men. “Go get the rope out of the truck.” One of the silhouettes disappeared. “It’ll only take a minute. You don’t want to stay down there all night. Judging by the amount of blood on your buddy’s leg, he’s hurt pretty bad.”

“Really, I think we’re good,” Stiles said and looked at Derek, wide-eyed. “I’m not leaving without you,” Stiles assured Derek.

Derek laid a hand on Stiles’ arm. “Maybe we should let them get us out. It’ll be a lot faster than trying to do it ourselves.” He leaned closer to Stiles and whispered in his ear. “I don’t think these guys are going to just leave us down here. By the time they pull you out, I bet I’ll be able to move my legs enough to convince them I’m alright.”

“You don’t know that,” Stiles whispered back. “You’ve been asleep for a couple of hours and you’re still healing. It could take a bit longer.” Stiles sighed and moved his hand over Derek’s giving it a squeeze. “You can't get up and walk around, Derek. I’ll have to build a stretcher or something to get you out.”

“Well, then they can get me out first. We can tell them I pulled a muscle in my back or something.”

“You boys done having a conference down there?” one of the guys called.

“It’s my back,” Derek called back. “I pulled a muscle or something. It hurts to move.”

“Well then, we should probably haul you up first,” Tom said. By this time, the fourth man had appeared with a large rope, a crude harness already created at one end. “You’re not the first people we’ve had to help out of a tough spot.”

“Find people in holes often?” Stiles asked, looking up at them, scrunching his face up at the sun. “Derek goes up first,” Stiles finally said.

Tom nodded in agreement. “Fine with me.” He threw the rope down and Derek caught it easily. “And not always holes, but a harness and rope tends be useful in a lot of situations. We’ve got a settlement about twenty miles away, but we come here to harvest fresh fruit and vegetables every week or so.” He handed the end of the rope to one of the other men and they lined up, ready to pull. “You’d be welcome to come back with us, check it out.”

“Let me help you,” Stiles said to Derek, kneeling up and grabbing the makeshift harness and helping Derek put it on. “This is probably going to hurt like a bitch when they pull you up. You know, since you’re feeling things again.”

“I can handle it,” Derek said, gritting his teeth at the sharp shocks of pain as he got situated. He caught Stiles’ hand and kissed his fingers quickly, out of sight of the men. “It’ll be okay. You and I both know that even though I can’t walk, I’m not helpless.” He flashed his eyes at Stiles and smiled a little.

Stiles nodded and breathed out slowly. “I’ll be up there soon,” he promised. “Then we’ll get you back to the house and cleaned up.” He squeezed Derek’s hand and gave an attempted smile. “Okay, he’s in!” Stiles shouted up to the men.

“You heard him fellas,” Tom said, “Pull!”

Derek bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood and groaned quietly as he started jerkily being pulled toward the top of the pit. He closed his eyes and counted his breaths, focusing on the feeling of his lungs expanding and contracting instead of the pain coruscating throughout his body. He dimly was aware of hands grabbing him under his armpits and then he was hauled out to lay in the field, chest heaving.

“You’re one stoic son of a bitch, aren’t you?” one of the men commented lightly. Derek just grunted. The harness was tugged off his legs and thrown back down to Stiles.

“Is Derek okay?” Stiles called up, grabbing the harness and quickly putting it on. “I’m in,” he shouted and yanked on the rope. “Get me up.”

“I’m fine,” Derek called out. “Just hurry,” he added to the men.  


~~  


Stiles felt the rope tighten and he started rising out of the hole. Stiles tried to help, digging his feet into the wall, reaching for a hand that grabbed him to haul himself out. “Thanks,” he told the men, and quickly got out of the harness. Stiles turned and started towards Derek, needing to make sure that he was okay.

Before Derek could sit up fully, Tom pulled a gun out of the back of his waistband and fired twice, hitting Derek in the chest. Derek flew back hard, blood flying from his mouth when he hit the ground. He coughed and tried to say, “Stiles,” but there was too much blood bubbling up the back of his throat.

“Derek!” Stiles shouted in horror and tried to run to him, but hands grabbed him quickly, restraining him. “What the fuck is your problem you piece of shit! Why the fuck did you do that!? We didn’t do anything to you!”

“Because anyone with eyes could see that he had way more than a pulled back,” Tom said cooly. “He was dead weight… literally now, I suppose.”

Stiles tried to yank against the hands that were holding either arm as the men laughed, watching Derek coughing up blood, like it was a fucking game to them. “It wasn’t a trap for Infected,” Stiles said with realization. “You set that trap to catch people! That’s why you had a harness ready to pull us up! You planned this!”

“Stick with what works,” one of the guys shrugged.

Derek loosed a loud snarl. His clawed hand shot out and he sliced through the tendon at the back of Tom’s closest leg.

Stiles felt one set of hands release him and he didn't hesitate, reaching out to grab a knife from the startled man next to him. Tom’s screams, along with Derek shifted and snarling on the ground, gave Stiles the opportunity he needed. He snapped his head back, hearing bone crack along with a startled cry. Stiles turned and sliced the guys throat open, blood spurting all over him. He dispatched the second man just as quickly and when the third rushed him, Stiles grunted as he was taken to the ground. He turned his face, biting the man’s arm and hearing a cry as he was released. Stiles shoved the knife through the man’s jugular then pushed the body off of himself. He yanked the bloody knife out and stood up, turning his gaze to Tom.

Tom was screaming, holding his leg, laying on the ground just out of Derek’s reach. Stiles picked up Tom’s discarded gun and walked over to him, blood dripping down his face and body from Tom’s butchered men. “Thanks for the help, fucker.” Stiles raised the gun and shot Tom in the head, dropped it and turned to walk over to Derek.

Stiles fell to his knees next to Derek, reaching out for him. “Derek,” he breathed, worry filling his face.

“It’s okay, I’m okay,” Derek said thickly through his fangs. “The gunshots are already healed, it’s still just my damn back.” He cupped a hand to Stiles’ bloody cheek. “Are you alright?”

Stiles nodded, turning into Derek’s touch. “I’m okay,” he assured Derek. “I’m okay.” Stiles took comfort in Derek’s touch, breathing out slowly and reached out to touch him. “I need to get you in the house to clean you up and into bed so you can heal.”

Derek clasped Stiles’ hand and threaded their fingers together. “We should get packed up and out of here as soon as we can. I doubt these guys worked alone and someone might come looking for them.” He struggled into a sitting position. “My legs are full of pins and needles, so hopefully it won’t be much longer before I can walk.”

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles agreed. “I’ll get you set up in the house and pack up our stuff. Maybe pick a batch of strawberries and blueberries for the road. See what vegetables they might have. I mean, it’ll probably take an hour at least for you to be able to walk. We can leave then.” Stiles leaned in and kissed Derek’s temple before he forced himself to move and squatted in front of Derek. “Put your arms around my neck.”

Derek looped his arms around Stiles’ neck and grunted as Stiles pulled them upright. “I don’t think you’ll have to carry me,” Derek said, snorting softly.

“Good, cause I think I’d pull a back muscle carrying your heavy ass,” Stiles teased and laughed softly. He pulled Derek’s arm over his shoulder, helping Derek carry most of his weight back to the house and managed to get him inside without falling on his face. Stiles stripped Derek down and cleaned him up, then put him into bed and made sure the fire was still going so Derek would be warm before he cleaned himself up, washing off his berry and blood coated skin. When Stiles was done he dressed and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, leaning down to give Derek a gentle kiss. “How are you feeling?”

Derek lifted his legs one by one off the bed. “I can move again,” he said. “I think you should probably still drive though, unless we want me to have a spasm or something and end up sliding us into a ditch.”

Stiles chuckled. “I can drive.” He moved a hand up to Derek’s hair, threading his fingers through it as he studied him. “You need me to help you get dressed or anything? I’m gonna start packing up the truck and see what we can take from the douches vehicle.”

“You start packing,” Derek said, drawing Stiles down for a short, sweet kiss. “I’ll yell if I need help.” Stiles ran his hand through Derek’s hair and Derek shivered a bit. As Stiles started packing, Derek carefully pulled on his clothes, pushing himself off the mattress to stand. He wobbled a bit, but took a few tentative steps.

It didn’t take Stiles long to pack their bags and he smiled over at Derek as he came back into the house after putting the last of it into the truck. “Look at you, walking and everything.” He walked over to Derek and held up a stick wrapped in foil. “Look what I found in the douches truck. Gum!” Stiles was already chewing a piece happily. “You get a whole piece to yourself.”

“I feel so special,” Derek said, grinning at Stiles’ excitement. “My reward for walking?”

“Well, I was going to offer you a different reward, but we don't exactly have time for that.” Stiles chuckled and opened the gum, offering it up to Derek. When Derek took it, sucking his fingers into his mouth, Stiles gave him an annoyed look and grabbed the blankets from the bed and started to fold them. “We should take the blankets and some of the clothes.”

“I can get the blankets,” Derek said, Stiles handing them over. “I don’t think they’ll be heavy enough to tip me over.”  He carefully walked to the truck and tossed the blankets into the bed.

Stiles joined Derek outside, arms filled with shirts and a couple of pants. He packed them into the truck and helped Derek into the passenger side. “I took all the gas and food that they had in their truck and packed it in the back and got a basket of berries for us.” Stiles motioned to the basket next to Derek. “I think that’s it. You need anything else before we get out on the road?” he asked, closing the passenger door.

“Let’s just get the fuck out of here,” Derek muttered. Stiles climbed into the driver’s side and started the truck. “I don’t want to stop unless we have to until we get to Beacon Hills. I’ve had about enough of this road trip.”

“Totally agree,” Stiles said, pulling out of the gravel driveway and towards the main road. “We’ll have to stop for gas, but other than that we’re set. Have plenty of food.” Stiles sighed and reached over to take Derek’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m ready to get home.”

Derek squeezed back. “So am I.”

***

_Derek’s teeth started to chatter and he pulled the blankets closer around himself and Stiles. The windows of Stiles’ apartment were completely covered in frost, and they could practically see their own breath, even indoors._

_“I’m so cold,” Stiles breathed, trying to tuck himself tighter against Derek. He shivered, burying his face against Derek’s chest and coughed as the cool air irritated his throat. “I didn’t know it could get this damn cold in here.”_

_“I’m ready to risk burning your apartment down with a fire,” Derek said, burying his face in Stiles’ hair. “I don’t think we can handle another month of temperatures like this.”_

_Stiles’ nose was freezing and he couldn’t feel his hands as he tried to bury them into Derek’s clothing. “M-maybe we can find a metal trashcan and try to build a fire in it in the apartment.” Stiles sniffled as his nose started running and shuddered again as a chill coursed through him._

_“Try anything once,” Derek mumbled. “We need to get some food too. Might as well try to find a can while we’re out.” After the supermarket, they no longer did anything alone._

_“I can’t feel my fingers and toes,” Stiles muttered. “Or my nose. I think they’re gonna fall off before winter is over.” Stiles gave an uncomfortable groan and if he could get any closer to Derek, he would. “We’ll freeze to death before anything else.”_

_“Maybe we should go now,” Derek said. “It’s not like we have anything else to do.” The days had become monotonous, each one long and miserable. After the power went off, everyone started staying shuttered away and the Infected (as they’d coined them) had free reign of the streets in the city. At this point, they weren’t really living, just existing._

_“I don’t even know if I can move,” Stiles said honestly and sighed. “But we can try. Right about now I’m wishing I would’ve looked for an apartment with a built in fireplace. That’s gonna be on my list for my next place. We need a fireplace.” Stiles sniffled again and forced himself to roll away from Derek. “I need to find my boots.”_

_Derek pounded his fist into his thighs and massaged them to get his blood flowing. “At least you have boots,” he muttered. The two of them bundled up as much as possible and Stiles armed himself with a few knives._

_“Yeah, well, it’s only because I’ve lived here.” Stiles wrapped his head up with a scarf and looked like he could barely move, much less breathe. “We should totally think about leaving when the snow breaks. I don’t think we can stay here much longer. We’re running out of food and I don’t want to live here for another winter.”_

_“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Derek admitted. “The prospect of a cross-country trip through a wasteland is pretty daunting, but I think we should chance it.”_

_“Yeah, well, we need to find a car and stock up as much as we can before we do. It’s not like they have working gas stations anymore. Gas is gonna be a bitch to get.” Rather than going for the door, Stiles walked up to Derek and tucked himself up against him again, trying to steal some of his warmth._

_Derek put his arms around Stiles’ shoulders and pulled him in close. “Well, let’s come up with a final plan. Then come March or so… we head home.” He pressed a kiss to Stiles’ temple. “And to our family.”_

_“Yeah,” Stiles breathed. “I’d like that.” He sighed and tucked himself against Derek’s neck, pressing his cold nose there as he tried to warm up. “I just wish we had the Jeep… it would make the travel so much easier.”_

_Derek squeezed Stiles’ shoulder, opening the door to the hallway. “We’ll figure something out. We always do.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek gets injured and paralyzed from a fall. The injuries are described somewhat, as well as descriptions of blood. 
> 
> There's also another attack on Stiles and Derek this chapter, from a group of men. Derek is shot and the ensuing violence is described, in which Stiles' uses a knife, then a gun to kill them. It goes by fast and is not described in a HUGE amount of detail in terms of gore. 
> 
> Thus ends what we think of as 'Part 1'. Onward to Beacon Hills!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I finally finished editing this chapter. I'm sorry that I didn't get one out for December and January, but if you guys have been following the comments my cat of 18 years died on Thanksgiving day. Then December and January kind of swept me up in personal stuff and missing her. 
> 
> Anyway. Here's an update. Hopefully I'll get the next one out soon. There will also be other fics being posted in the next week so make sure you check those out! You can subscribe to my page for those updates. :) - Winchesterek
> 
>  **Notes** : No real warnings for this chapter. Tags have been added, as usual, let us know if you think anything else should be tagged. Derek and Stiles finally made it home! - SuperfluousEmi

**\--PART TWO--  
**  

Stiles was exhausted, but he was too excited to sleep. He reached over and gently shook Derek. “Hey, Derek. Wake up. Derek.” He jiggled him again gently, grinning at the mile marker that listed Beacon Hills.

Derek opened his eyes and blinked, looking groggy. “What is it?” he mumbled, voice rough from sleep.

“Look,” Stiles said, pointing at a sign saying _‘Entering Beacon Hills’_. “We’re officially in Beacon Hills. Okay, we’re like on the outskirts, but we’re _here._ ”

“We made it,” Derek said, almost under his breath. After the farmhouse, they’d kept their plan and hadn’t stopped for anything but gas, covering the rest of the distance to Beacon Hills in a few days. Their excitement at being home waned a little when they saw how deserted everything looked. Granted, most towns had been near to empty, but Beacon Hills looked _dead._ A large number of buildings were burnt out shells, and it was utterly silent.

“I’m going straight to my dad’s,” Stiles said, trying not to bounce in his seat in anticipation. “And then we’ll check on everyone else. They might be holed up at Allison’s though since it’s a fortress there.” Stiles let his hands lead him home, not paying much attention to the town as they drove through.

Derek's unease continued to grow the further along they went, but Stiles was practically vibrating with excitement still. Just because the town looked deserted didn’t mean that everyone was gone, or dead. They were probably just lying low, like everyone seemed to be doing. Although, they hadn’t seen a single Infected since entering California, so why wouldn’t somebody be around?

It didn't take long until they pulled up in front of Stiles’ house and he threw the truck into park and jumped out. Stiles didn't even grab any weapons as he ran up the walkway, reaching out to grab the doorknob and pulled. He stopped when the door was unlocked and frowned. “Dad?” he called into the house loudly.

Derek followed Stiles, casting glances around as he mounted the front steps.

Stiles appeared in the doorway again, breath coming quickly. “He’s not here. Maybe he’s at the station.” Stiles was trying not to panic, trying to stay positive, but there was a growing worry building inside of him. “Or maybe Allison’s.”

“Let’s keep looking,” Derek said, grabbing Stiles’ hand. “We’ve got some daylight left.”

“Yeah, okay.” Stiles nodded and followed Derek back to the truck. “You feel okay enough to drive?”

“Sure,” Derek said, taking the keys. “Where do you want to go first?”

“I don't know… maybe the station.” Stiles sighed and ran a hand over his face. “See if there’s anything there. I want to check on everyone.” Stiles got into the truck with Derek and tried not to barf all over the place as his anxiety started to build. The station was trashed and empty, and Scott and Lydia’s houses were much the same as his, without a trace of anyone living in them. Stiles didn't have much hope by the time they checked Erica and Boyd’s houses, finally stopping at Allison’s. “Do you hear anyone inside?” Stiles asked, not even getting out of the truck.

“...No.” Derek slumped forward and dropped his head onto the steering wheel.

“Maybe they went somewhere else,” Stiles said softly, trying to remain hopeful. “Somewhere safe.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, resting his head back on his seat, trying to fight back the sting in his eyes and the tightness in his throat. “There weren't exactly any signs of struggles or Infected.”

Derek cleared his throat and sat up. “Maybe. But unless we can figure out where that is… I don’t think there’s anything we can do.” Derek took Stiles’ hand and held it, thumb stroking over the back. “Let’s go to the house. We can look around more tomorrow.”

Stiles sniffled and nodded, giving Derek’s hand a squeeze. He’d been so hopeful that they’d get home and find their family, but the town seemed completely deserted. “It’s getting dark. We won't be able to see much of anything soon.”

~~~

Derek squeezed back, putting the truck in drive and pulling out into the empty street. It was about a fifteen-minute drive out to the preserve, the sun disappearing almost completely by the time he pulled into the long drive up to the new house. It looked untouched and despite himself, he felt warmth in his chest at Stiles finally being able to see what he’d built for them. The house was a large two story with a wraparound porch, nestled back into the trees. He just wished more than anything Stiles was seeing this under happier circumstances.

Stiles had dozed off, waking when Derek gave his hand a squeeze and gently called his name. “Sorry,” he breathed and sat up. “We’re here already?”

“Yeah, we’re here,” Derek said. He turned the truck off and plunged the rest of the clearing into darkness. “Hopefully, the spare key is still under one of the rocks by the door.” He opened the door of the truck and climbed out, moving around to Stiles’ side. “Take my hand, we don’t need you breaking an ankle because you can’t see.”

“Haha. Very funny.” Stiles took Derek’s hand and grabbed their backpacks out of the back of the truck. “Lead the way wolfman.”

Derek pulled Stiles up the walkway, stopping to flip over a large rock by the porch. Thankfully the key was still there. He picked it up and climbed onto the porch, unlocking the large front door. The blackness inside the house was forbidding, so he pulled a flashlight out of his backpack and turned it on, the beam illuminating the large foyer. “I think I have some candles stashed somewhere. And there’s a fireplace in the living room and the master bedroom, so we should have some light.”

“Well at least we have that,” Stiles said with a small smile. “Wish it was still daylight out so I could see the house, but we have tomorrow. I’ll be able to look at it then.” Stiles dug his flashlight out of his backpack and flicked it on too, shrugging his pack onto his shoulder again. “Do I need to go find some firewood?”

“I had a bench storing some in the living room, but it will only last a few days if we’re burning fires every night,” Derek said. “We can get some more tomorrow.” He swept the flashlight from side to side, throwing shadows off the doorways. “We should probably just light the one in the bedroom, and we can do the grand tour tomorrow. I think we deserve a night in our own bed before we do anything else.”

“God, that sounds so good.” Stiles closed the door behind them and locked it, visibly relaxing. “Where’s our room? I’ll follow you.”

“Come on,” Derek said, tugging Stiles’ hand. He pulled him up the wide staircase in the foyer, their bedroom the first door at the top of the stairs. He pushed the door open and took in the room he’d left, a strange feeling coursing through him at seeing something look exactly the way it had all those months ago. The bed was rumpled, and there was a paperback book resting in the middle of the comforter. There were clothes bunched up at the foot of the bed, and a coffee cup resting on the nightstand. A bit of moonlight was streaming through the large window behind the headboard, illuminating the room slightly.

“Kinda hard to believe we’re here,” Stiles said softly, looking around the room, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. “It’s surreal.” He let go of Derek’s hand to walk into the room, running his fingers along the comforter and then the book in the middle of the bed. “I’m afraid to hope that everything could be normal again,” Stiles whispered, putting his bag on the floor next to the nightstand.

Derek dropped his bag too, before walking to Stiles and putting his arms around his waist, holding him tightly. “Don’t be afraid to hope,” he murmured, nuzzling Stiles’ neck.

Stiles leaned back against Derek, moving his hand to Derek’s arm around his waist. “I’m afraid,” Stiles admitted, moving his other hand into Derek’s hair and scratching his scalp lightly. “But I want to get back to as normal as we can. We need to.”

“We will,” Derek said firmly, moving his hand to cover Stiles’ own. “I know it.” Stiles turned in his arms and Derek bent his head to kiss him, softly. “You wait here,” he murmured against Stiles’ lips, “and I’ll bring up some wood for the fire.”

“Okay,” Stiles nodded and reluctantly released Derek. Stiles stripped down and tossed his clothes into a corner. He grabbed his water bottle and his flashlight and headed into the restroom, plugging up the sink and filling it with water from his bottle and soap, Stiles started washing up with an _actual_ washcloth and smiled, calling out, “Come have a sink shower!”

Derek put a few logs into the fireplace, before heading into the bathroom. “That sounds incredible,” Derek said, breathing the smell of actual _soap_ in. He pulled off his clothes and kicked them back into the bedroom, before lathering up his own washcloth, marveling at the fact that he was getting clean in his own bathroom. In his _house._ “I can’t wait to get into a bed that smells like me,” Derek muttered as he soaped up his torso. “And make it smell like us.”

Stiles laughed softly. “I doubt it smells like anything right now, but I couldn't agree more.” Stiles breathed deeply. “You’re even starting to smell like the old Derek,” he teased, washing up. Stiles rinsed his rag out in the sink and scrubbed himself some more. “Gonna have to figure out how to get some water up here into the tub so we can have another bath soon.”

“I heartily agree with that,” Derek said. He had pulled out the stops for their en suite bathroom, and the tub was more than large enough to fit the two of them with room to spare. “We might be able to get one flush out of the toilet, if you want to use it instead of running outside.” He rinsed himself off and grabbed one of the towels off the rack, drying quickly.

Stiles sighed and smiled as he rinsed himself off. “God, a toilet. And toilet paper. Totally saving it for when I have to take a poop. I’m tired of digging holes and watching for bugs or animals trying to get in my special places.” Stiles took Derek’s towel when he was done and dried himself off with it, then placed it on a bar to dry.

“I find you so attractive right now,” Derek said dryly, then snorted with laughter. He walked back into the bedroom and dropped onto the bed, almost moaning aloud at the softness of his mattress. “I don’t even care about starting a fire tonight, I just want to sleep.”

“Good thing it’s not winter,” Stiles said, crawling into bed next to Derek. Stiles gave a satisfied groan. “I think I’m gonna be passed out in a few seconds,” Stiles mumbled, reaching out for Derek. “C’mere.”

Derek shifted over, pulling Stiles into the circle of his arms. “Me too,” he said, eyes falling shut.

Stiles snuggled into Derek as they drifted off into the first peaceful sleep they’d had since before Christmas in New York.

***

Derek stretched and opened his eyes, hardly able to believe where he was. He looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom, felt his mattress cradling him, the faint scent of himself in the sheets. He rolled to the side and saw Stiles still asleep, mouth open and snoring lightly. Derek smiled to himself and trailed a hand up and down Stiles’ arm, the sunlight streaming in the window and warming their skin.

Stiles slowly stirred, blinking awake at Derek’s touch. He grumbled like he always did when he was woken, but smiled still as he nuzzled into his pillow. “Morning,” he said softly, taking a deep breath. “I think I might be dreaming. We’re in a bed.”

“Not just any bed,” Derek said, leaning closer. “Our bed.” He gently kissed the corner of Stiles’ mouth, laying his head on the pillow next to Stiles’. “Can’t believe we’re finally here.”

“I know,” Stiles said softly, shifting to scoot closer to Derek. “It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been home and now -” Stiles smiled a little. “Hard to believe it’s real. I feel like I’m gonna wake up and it’s all a dream.”

“You’re not the only one,” Derek said, smiling back, a little sadly. “I love you,” he murmured, leaning in for a kiss.

“I love you too,” Stiles breathed against Derek’s lips. He reached out to cup Derek’s face, running his thumb over Derek’s beard and leaned in to kiss him again softly. “I really wanna stay in bed all day, but I think you have a grand tour to show me.”

“Mmmm,” Derek hummed. “You’re right about that.” He rubbed his cheek against Stiles’ neck, as Stiles huffed in amusement. “Why don’t we get dressed and you can look at your home. See if you like it.”

“Our home,” Stiles corrected gently, sighing as he wrapped his arm around Derek as if refusing to get up right that second. “Pretty sure it’s going to take an army to get me out of this bed every morning,” he added with a chuckle.

Derek snorted with laughter. “Some things never change, huh?” But he settled closer to Stiles and let his eyes fall shut again. “Maybe we can just lay here a few minutes.”

“Sounds good,” Stiles said as he traced his fingers along Derek’s back idly. “I don't think I’m ever going to be a morning person, end of the world be damned.” Stiles snuggled in more, sliding his thigh over Derek’s hip.

“I wouldn’t want you to change anyway,” Derek muttered, kissing Stiles’ neck. “It would throw me off.” He ran his hand up and down Stiles’ back, just enjoying the feel of their skin pressed together as they both dozed off again. When Derek woke again, the room was bathed in even more sunlight. He’d guess it was closer to mid-morning and his stomach rumbled loudly. He swung his legs off the bed and went to the bathroom, finding his mouthwash and swishing a mouthful around before spitting it into the sink. He walked back into the bedroom and stroked a hand down Stiles’ face.

Stiles breathed deeply and stretched, sighing as he rolled onto his back. “Remind me to make you an afternoon person,” he teased, grumbling as he forced himself to sit up. He ran a hand over his face and through his tousled hair. “What are we doing today anyway? After, you know.”

“Let’s start with getting food in our bellies and go from there,” Derek said, holding his hand out to Stiles and pulling him to his feet. They quickly dressed and left the bedroom, heading downstairs to the kitchen. Derek pulled open his pantry and found some cans of hash, that he waggled in Stiles’ direction. “Interested?” he asked.

Stiles chuckled then nodded. He glanced around the kitchen, moving to lean against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s nice,” he said quietly. “Wish we could’ve, you know, used it.” Without electricity or water, the kitchen was almost useless. “I’m afraid of what’s in your fridge.”

“We can deal with that later,” Derek said, casting a wary glance at his fridge. “Do you want to start a fire in the fireplace in the living room? We can heat this up in a skillet and have a warm breakfast.”

“Yeah, I’ll go get it started.” Stiles gave Derek a quick kiss and went to find his fire starter and then headed to the living room.

Derek dug through his drawers for a can opener and made quick work of two cans of hash. He dished them into two nonstick skillets and brought them to the living room, where Stiles already had the fire sputtering to life. Once it was warm enough Derek propped the skillets near the fire to warm the hash. He beat some of the dust off one of his armchairs and sat down with a sigh. The living room had two large windows on either side of the fireplace and the sunlight shining through the trees cast mottled patterns on the furniture and walls. Stiles was still peering around interestedly. “Still like it?” Derek asked.

Stiles sat in front of the fireplace, legs crossed Indian-style and studied the room. It was huge, with high ceilings. “It’s beautiful. I still can't believe you built it for us.”

Derek flushed with pride. He knew it was a gamble, doing something this big as a surprise, and he was more pleased than he could say that Stiles seemed to like it. He stood up and walked to Stiles, dropped a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m going to grab some plates.” Derek grabbed two from the kitchen, along with forks and brought them back to the living room. The hash was steaming, and he quickly dished some up for the both of them. Derek settled next to Stiles on the floor and they ate quietly, enjoying the hot food.

Stiles admired the living room while they ate and when he was done he placed his plate on the stone ledge of the fireplace, leaning against it and propping his head on his hand. “We should probably stock up on supplies while we’re out today. Stock the pantry with all the canned goods that we can find until we can get that garden up and going. And make sure we have enough firewood for winter.”

Derek nodded in agreement, then shot upwards. “Stiles! I just remembered… good grief, I’m an idiot!” He clambered to his feet and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a flashlight out of the junk drawer as Stiles followed him curiously. “Before I left to come visit you, Boyd talked about picking up a generator to keep in the basement. He thought it’d be a good idea for winter out here, if we ever lost power.” He went to the back of the house, where the basement door was. “Let’s check if it’s there,” he said, trying not to get his hopes up.

“Really?” Stiles asked, disbelieving. “Our luck isn’t that great, Derek. I doubt we’re going to have a magical generator in your basement.” Stiles sighed and followed Derek down the stairs into the dark basement anyway. “He probably didn't have a chance to get one with how quickly everything happened before Christmas.”

“He was planning to go that weekend. I even lent him my credit card,” Derek said, starting to get excited despite himself. “Your dad was going to help him.” The flashlight beam swung over the fairly empty basement. “Back here are the utilities,” Derek said, heading towards the right. And there, tucked in a corner, was a good-sized generator, already hooked up. “Oh my god,” Derek muttered. “Thank you, Boyd.” He ran his hand over it, to make sure he was actually seeing it.

“You gotta be freakin’ joking me,” Stiles said, surprised. “Does it work?” he asked with hesitation in his voice. “What can we run on it? I mean… we don't really have a lot of fuel in the truck after the drive.”

Derek shone the flashlight over the generator and noticed cabling coming out of it. He followed them with the beam of light and noticed a second generator connected to it. “They’re gas powered, but I don’t know how efficient they are.” Derek gestured to the second generator with his flashlight. “I’m guessing they won’t run very long if Boyd grabbed two of them, but it’s something.”

Stiles looked hesitant as he looked at the generators. “Maybe we can start it up for a couple of minutes and see if they work. At least we’ll know. We can try to stockpile some fuel when we go out.”

Derek shone his flashlight on the sides and found an instruction booklet still taped in a plastic sleeve to the gennie. He popped the flashlight in his mouth and ripped open the packet. “It’s just a push button activation, I guess,” Derek said, teeth clenched around the flashlight barrel. “Let’s hope Boyd filled it with gas if they went to the trouble of hooking it up.” Derek found the button and pushed it, holding his breath.

Stiles made a face as the generator seemed to shake and growl before starting up and he raised his brows. “It started.” He looked around the basement. There were no lights and everything seemed like it had seconds ago, except now they had a grumbling generator in their basement.

“That’s something, I guess,” Derek said. “The real test is turning on the lights.” He felt his heart pounding as they made their way back to the stairs and climbed to the top. Derek slowly reached his hand out and hovered over the switch for a moment. “Come on, nut up,” he muttered to himself and flicked the switch, almost jumping out of his skin as light flooded the basement.

Stiles stared at the basement, then ran his hand over his face as if he were dreaming. The power didn't go away when he opened his eyes again, breath hitching as he reached a hand out to grip Derek’s shoulder. “We have power… oh my god!”

Derek grabbed Stiles’ hand and pulled him into a tight hug. “I don’t even know what to say,” Derek said, breathing in Stiles’ hair. “As long as we can keep a fuel supply, maybe we won’t freeze this winter.”

Stiles hugged Derek tight. “Good thing we’re not in New York,” he mumbled against Derek’s shoulder. “Winter here is a lot more mild than it is there. I think we’d get by with the fireplace, but it’s nice to have another option.”

“I’m looking forward to a hot shower,” Derek said, pulling back. “Maybe after we do our scavenging today? But we should probably turn the generator off until we get back.” He flicked the light switch and generator off and sighed as they were plunged back into darkness. Derek pushed open the basement door and switched off his flashlight as they moved back into the sunlight.

“Yeah. That’s probably a good idea. I mean, I’m down for a hot shower. Might as well save it for after we get dirty..er.” Stiles sighed and stretched his neck. “So where are we going to look today?”

“I think we should concentrate on gas and food. We’ll be able to get water because we have a well, but it might not be bad to stock up on what we find anyway.”  Derek shrugged. “Do you have any preferences? Anything on a wish list?”

"Meat? Maybe I can catch us some rabbits or squirrels. We haven't had fresh meat in a while."

“That certainly shouldn’t be hard to find here,” Derek said, nodding out towards the windows where the trees were thick around the house.  “We should be able to set up a series of traps that we can check daily.” Derek reached out and squeezed Stiles hand, before heading to the living room and fetching their dirty dishes. He brought them back to the kitchen and put them in the sink, when he stopped and stood with his hands pressed to the counter. “Stiles… why do you think we haven’t seen any Infected lately? With how populated California is, you’d think we’d be seeing a ton of them.”

"I don't know," Stiles said and leaned against the counter. "Maybe they migrated... Or rotted away? I mean we've seen half bodies before and corpses of well... corpses."

“Maybe,” Derek nodded. “With the warmer temperatures here, they would have decomposed faster.  Maybe they’re getting eaten by scavengers.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “It’s just… frustrating, not having answers.”

"Yeah, well, we never really had any answers to begin with. It's not like we really learned much before the power went out and we lost communication." Stiles sighed and moved to wrap his arms around Derek from behind, resting his chin on Derek's shoulder. "Let's just be grateful we haven't seen any."

Derek rubbed his hands over Stiles’ forearms. “You’re right. We’re home, and relatively safe, it seems. That’s something to be thankful for.” He turned his head and kissed Stiles’ cheek. “What do you say we roll on out, get things done while we have daylight?”

"Sounds like an awesome plan to me. I wanna get home to get that hot shower," Stiles said with a chuckle. "And you're going to be joining me." He kissed Derek's neck and nuzzled there. "We'll just pack the truck with all the canned food we can find."

“If that’s not motivation to work quickly, I don’t know what is,” Derek laughed. “Meet me out by the truck when you’re ready.” He reached back and squeezed Stiles’ ass playfully.

“Yeah, I’ll get our bags from the bedroom,” Stiles said, pressing another kiss to Derek’s neck and hurried up the stairs. It didn't take him long to get their bags, packed with things they might need and meet Derek out at the truck. “Okay, let’s go.”

~~~

When they reached the suburbs, they combed through the houses methodically, just like they had been doing on their entire trip here, stripping them of their canned goods and water storage. Stiles made extra trips to the restrooms for toilet paper, toothpaste and any soap he could find along with other luxury items. It ended up being his mission to find things to make them more comfortable, things they never had while on the road, now that they had a house, a home. By the time they made it back to the house Stiles was tired, but in a good way. “I should probably go set some snares and traps. We might get some fresh meat by morning if I do.”

Derek shut the truck off and looked to Stiles. “That could wait until tomorrow, couldn’t it? You’ve done enough for one day.”  He looked back to the packed truck bed. “We have more than enough food. Not to mention the fact that I know the hunting in these woods. I could catch us some meat, easy.” Derek reached out and rubbed the back of Stiles’ neck, thumb digging into the tight muscles. “Tonight, why don’t we relax?”

Stiles closed his eyes, leaning into Derek’s touch and moaning softly at the feeling of his mate’s fingers digging into the knots in his neck. “Yeah, okay. After we unpack the truck and put everything in the house. I don't want to leave anything out here. I don't know if people are around, but there are still animals.”

“You got it,” Derek said, digging his thumb in one last time, before climbing out of the truck. It took a few trips to empty the bed. A quick trip to the basement later and the generator was chugging away.

“Shall we?” Derek asked, holding his hand out to Stiles. He flicked on the lights for the upper landing and a soft, yellow glow filled the staircase.

Stiles smiled and took Derek’s hand. “I still can't believe we have power,” he said, shifting his pack on his shoulder and walking up the stairs with Derek.

“I know,” Derek said. “Our luck has been so shit, I think we deserve a bit of a win.” Once in the bedroom, they stripped quickly. Derek turned the water on in the shower stall. For a moment, nothing happened, then the water spit a few times and ran dark.  He let it run until it cleared and turned the knob towards the hot, moaning as the water heated up, turning to look at Stiles and grinning.

“How do you have water anyway?” Stiles asked, setting his bag down with a grin and pulling out both shampoo and a bar of soap. He wiggled them both at Derek, laughing softly as he walked over and gave him a kiss.

“The generator is powering the sump pump,” Derek said, flicking droplets of water onto Stiles. “And thankfully, the water heater too. This far out into the Preserve, I knew I wouldn’t be able to be on municipal water, so a well and septic system is what we had put in.”

“Really thankful for that right now,” Stiles said and smiled, kissing Derek again. Stiles put the shampoo bottle and the soap bar on one of the ledges in the stall before walking in. “If we don't use the generator for anything else other than warm showers I’m totally fine with that.”

“So am I,” Derek agreed, following Stiles into the stall and sliding the door shut. Sighing under his breath, he circled Stiles’ waist with his arms and tugged him close, pressing their bodies together and sharing the spray.

Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek and tucked himself against him, letting the hot water cover them both. “That feels so good,” Stiles breathed, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth washing over them. “I just wanna stand here forever.”

“Sounds good to me,” Derek murmured, running his hands down the dip in Stiles’ spine. As he moved them back up, he pressed down and in circles, working the tension out of Stiles’ back. “Can you imagine following this up with going to sleep in our bed again? This is the most relaxed I’ve been since December.”

“I can’t even imagine it,” Stiles said honestly. “It’ll be even harder to believe when we actually do go to bed.” He smiled and kissed Derek’s shoulder, running his hands along Derek’s skin, fingers tracing over his triskelion tattoo. “You wanna use your soap and shampoo or use the stuff we found today?” Stiles asked softly.

“Mine,” Derek said. “I want a familiar smell.” He nuzzled Stiles’ neck, scraping his teeth along the long line of it. “And for you to smell like me… that’s always a bonus.”

Stiles chuckled softly. “I always smell like you, though,” he reminded Derek, turning to kiss Derek’s temple and nose along his cheek. When Derek turned, Stiles captured his lips in a kiss. “But I always loved how your soap smells.” He gave Derek another kiss, then reached out to grab the shampoo and squeeze some into Derek’s hair, then reached up to lather it.

“That feels great,” Derek said, tilting his head and letting Stiles massage his scalp. His hands wandered down and he palmed Stiles’ ass, squeezing the cheeks methodically. He tipped his head back and let the spray rinse the suds away.

Stiles kissed Derek’s neck, licking and sucking the muscle there and closing his teeth over his pulse point, biting with blunt teeth. “I made you a promise when we got home,” Stiles said softly, pressing a kiss to Derek’s jugular as he finished rinsing Derek’s hair of suds.

“Yeah?” Derek drew in a shuddering breath at the teeth scraping his neck.

“You don't remember?” Stiles asked, running his hands down Derek’s back, kissing over his shoulder and reaching out to grab Derek’s soap bar to lather up his skin.

“Why don’t you remind me?” Derek said lowly, squeezing some shampoo into Stiles’ hair as he ducked away, laughing.

Stiles snorted a laugh as he washed Derek’s skin. “I guess it wasn’t memorable enough of a promise for you to remember. What a shame.” Stiles closed his eyes as Derek washed his hair and he had to focus on washing Derek’s skin, grabbing a cloth from a bar and wetting it before scrubbing off as much dirt and grime he could from Derek’s chest and back.

“Oh, I see,” Derek said, raising his eyebrows. “So, you don’t want to remind me of how it feels for you to fuck me into a mattress?” He tossed a washcloth at Stiles’ head and laughed when it stuck there, dangling in front of his face.

Stiles scoffed, mouth hanging open at the washcloth and snatched it off his head. “Augh, my eyes,” he complained and pushed Derek out of the way, throwing his own washcloth at Derek before sticking his face under the water to rinse the soap from his face. “Moment ruined,” Stiles sputtered under the water.

Derek snorted when the washcloth hit him in the neck, before he tossed it to the side. He reached out and used his hands to smooth the hair off Stiles’ forehead, thumbs swiping away the suds. “Maybe I can get it back,” he said softly, laying a gentle kiss on each of Stiles’ eyelids, then his mouth, sliding his tongue along Stiles’ lips.

“I was trying to feel all sexy and seductive. Now I just feel like a spaz,” Stiles mumbled against Derek’s lips and sighed, leaning his head back to rinse the rest of the suds away. “Sorry.”

“Why can’t you be both?” Derek said, running his hand over Stiles’ hair. “You wouldn’t be you, otherwise.” He rinsed the suds off his own body. “When’s the last time we were even able to joke around during sex? And, Hell, not worry about Infected interrupting us?”

“Probably when you first arrived in New York,” Stiles said, reaching for the shampoo to wash his hair again, making sure to get it extra clean and rinsed off. He idly washed his body after that, switching spots with Derek to rinse off again. “Which feels like forever ago.”

“I want it back,” Derek said absently. “I miss how we were before. I don’t even know if it’s possible with the way the world is now, but… I miss it.”

“Maybe,” Stiles said with a shrug. “I don't know. I think it’ll probably take time for us to be like that again, if ever. Everything’s so different now. We’ve changed, you know? The old me wouldn’t be able to kill people without feeling guilty about it,” Stiles pointed out. “Everything’s just so different.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Derek grumbled, scrubbing the rest of the suds off his body. He stepped out of the stall and grabbed a towel off the rack, roughly drying himself off. “I don’t like it and I’m never going to. But I guess I’ll just have to live with it.  We both will.”

Stiles turned the water off and sighed. “So, what, you don't like who we are now?” Stiles grabbed his own towel and dried off, feeling lighter than he had in months. And clean. “I don't think there’s really a way to change that,” he added, walking out of the restroom.

“I never said that,” Derek said, not bothering with clothes as he climbed into bed. “I’ll always love you, no matter what you do and the way you are. It doesn’t mean I can’t regret the fact that you’ve had to kill as much as you have.” He sighed and crossed his arms behind his head. “Especially since it feels like it’s my fault that you had to start killing. Just another failure to add to my long list of them.”

“Yeah, well, I’d kill all those people again if I had to redo it,” Stiles said, climbing into bed next to Derek and pulling the covers over them. “If it means saving you and myself. Unfortunately it’s come down to us or them now and I choose us. And it’s not your fault. It’s just the way the world is now.” Stiles sighed and scooted close to Derek, tucking himself against his side and resting his head on Derek’s chest. “And I don't blame you for what happened to me… that wasn’t your fault either.”

Derek sighed shakily and brought his arms down to close around Stiles. “We can only hope things will be better now.” He brought his face down to Stiles’ hair. “I’m sorry,” he breathed.

“We’ll be okay,” Stiles said softly. It had been the same thing that he’d been saying since the beginning. They were going to be okay because there wasn’t any other choice. It was either being okay or dying and Stiles refused to give up their lives. He kissed Derek’s chest softly. “Sometimes I wish things could be the way they used to be. I miss it too.”

Derek let his eyes fall closed and Stiles felt a few tears drip onto his skin from Derek’s cheeks.  Derek sniffed loudly and cleared his throat. “As long as I have you, I’ll be okay.” Derek laughed a little hysterically. “And by now I think we’ve both proven we’re too stubborn to roll over and die.”

“Not going down without a fight,” Stiles reminded him, turning up to press a kiss over Derek’s cheek to kiss away his tears. “We’re going down together if it comes to that.”

“That’s a promise, huh?” Derek asked quietly.

“Yeah. It’s a promise.” Stiles kissed Derek’s tears then kissed his lips softly. “I love you. No matter what.”

Derek kissed back. “I love you too.” He stroked his hand along Stiles’ back. “Forever.”

***

True to their promise to themselves, Derek and Stiles spent the next few days relaxing and getting used to being in an actual home again. They hunted, set up traps, organized their supplies and continued scouting the area. Unfortunately, the one thing they still couldn’t find was any sign of people.

A week after they’d arrived back in Beacon Hills, they had woken late and had a big breakfast, intending on making a circuit of the Preserve to check the snares and traps. The day had dawned bright and sunny and the temperature was mild. It was almost beautiful enough to make them forget anything was wrong with the world. Derek tilted his head up to the sky, letting the warmth of the sun wash over him.

"Augh. Why are there so many rocks in this one spot," Stiles said, picking up a rock and tossing it aside. "Right where I want to put the garden."

“My mom used to blame them on pixies,” Derek said, smiling in remembrance. “No matter how many rocks you pulled out of the ground, pixies would put them back.”

"Damn pixies. How do I send them away?" Stiles chuckled and tossed another rock aside. "We should build a fence and put the garden inside of it. Probably won't keep all the animals out but it might help."

“Put out a saucer of milk, in the middle of a circle of toadstools,” Derek said seriously. Stiles just stared at him and he snorted with laughter. “Anyway, we should be able to find some chicken wire at a hardware store, along with metal posts.  Marigolds planted around the perimeter will help keep out the animals that like to eat garden plants.”

“Guess I better find some Marigolds and an animal to get some milk, then,” Stiles muttered and frowned, tossing another rock towards the woods. He looked up, eyebrows bunching together. “Did you hear that?” he asked quietly.

Derek cocked his head and heard scuffling in the brush. “Whatever it is, it’s not big.” He moved closer. “Judging by the heart rate, it’s probably a kind of bird.”

“How on earth do you know that just from listening to its heartbeat?” Stiles looked at the tree line. “Maybe it’s an egg laying bird.”

“Because of how fast it’s beating. Only birds have heart rates that quick.” Derek crept a little closer and the movement stopped. “We need to flush it out,” he said, lowering his voice. “Grab a stick and circle around back. Start making a racket and herd it towards me.”

“Maybe we shouldn't kill it. Birds lay eggs. We can eat the eggs.” Stiles looked around for a stick and grabbed it, and did what Derek asked.

Derek tensed and waited as Stiles started beating the stick against the trees. After a moment, movement exploded out of the foliage and Derek cursed as what looked like a wild turkey went past him like a shot. He turned tail and started chasing after it, hearing Stiles laughing wildly behind him.

Stiles fell to the ground in laughter at the sight of Derek chasing a speedy turkey, cursing up a storm. He held his stomach, unable to breathe as the turkey ran circles around Derek, trying to dart around and make chasing it more difficult. “Don't kill it Derek!” Stiles barely managed to shout.

“Oh, I won’t,” Derek muttered through gritted teeth as the turkey shot between his legs again. He chased it into an open space and put on a burst of speed, launching himself at the bird and tackling it. The turkey screeched and flapped its wings wildly, pelting Derek repeatedly in the face as he clutched one of its legs. “This better be worth the humiliation!” he yelled to Stiles.

“Who else is going to see you other than me?!” Stiles shouted back, still laughing, doubled over from the sight of Derek and the turkey. By the time Derek made it back over to him, Stiles still couldn't breathe properly, but he wasn’t rolling on the ground. “Are turkey’s a thing out here?” he asked as Derek glared at him and the turkey. “I’ve never had a turkey egg.”

“Yeah, wild turkeys are common here,” Derek said, holding the turkey as far away from his face as he could. “But I’ve never had a turkey egg either. I don’t even know if this is a male or female.” The turkey had quit screeching, but Derek could swear it was glaring at him. “What am I supposed to do with this now?”

“Uh… well, I didn't really think about that,” Stiles said and winced. “Maybe we can tie it up for now and I can make a small cage for it. Until we can make a bigger one at least. I guess if it doesn’t lay any eggs we can eat it.”

Derek looked at the bird considering. “Maybe we should try to catch more of them if we see them. It would be nice to have a supply of eggs, and I’m not sure where we’d find chickens.”

“I wouldn’t even know where a farm would be for us to look for chickens,” Stiles said and looked at the bird. “Maybe we can just tie one of its feet up and tie it to the house. I mean… it’ll probably make a mess of the basement if we let it loose in there. But yeah, I think catching a bunch for eggs would be nice.”

“Yeah, this thing isn’t going into the house. Maybe we can use a piece of wood for a stake and tie it to the ground for now.” Derek started walking back towards the house, still carrying the bird. “Looks like we might have a trip to the hardware store in our near future,” he said over his shoulder.

"I can make a trip," Stiles said, taking off his gloves as he followed Derek. "If you don't want t to go."

“I know we haven’t seen anyone in the area, but I’d feel better if we went together,” Derek said. “If that’s alright with you?”

"Yeah. It's cool. I just, you know, didn't want the turkey to escape."

“Well, unless we put it in a building, it could escape whether someone was here or not,” Derek pointed out. “I suppose we could even put it in the bed of the truck and bring it with us.”

"Yeah I guess." Stiles looked at the turkey and frowned. "If we are taking it with us we should just tie both its legs together. We'll put it in the cage when we get home."

“Sounds like a plan,” Derek agreed. “Why don’t I hold it and you tie its legs?” He could feel the turkey watching him with its judgmental beady eyes. “I’m pretty sure it’s plotting my murder.”

"Probably." Stiles laughed and went to get a small rope and tied its legs. "Okay all done. No clawing."

The turkey darted its head forward and jabbed Derek’s finger.  “Fuck!” he yelled and pointed it at the bird. “You’re lucky we’re not eating you.” The cut healed over and he sucked the blood off his finger, before tossing the bird in the bed of the truck and slamming it shut.

"I can't believe you just threw the bird in there. No wonder he or she is plotting your death." Stiles laughed and reached for Derek's belt loop. "C'mere. I'll kiss you better."

“It bit me!” Derek protested, laughing, but went where Stiles’ tugged him and held out his finger, the skin still pink from healing.

Stiles smiled and kissed Derek’s finger, then pulled Derek into a soft kiss. “Well you did tackle it,” Stiles teased when they parted.

“Hey,” Derek murmured and pulled Stiles close again. “C’mere.” He slid a hand around Stiles’ neck and pulled him in for another kiss, deeper and longer.

Stiles was clutching Derek’s shirt, holding him close and breathing unevenly when they finally broke from the kiss. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against Derek’s. “We should probably get to the store.”

Derek hummed and nodded. “We probably should,” he said. “You sure we have to leave right now?”

“If we don't we’re losing daylight,” Stiles pointed out. “And we still need to make a turkey cage.”

“Voice of reason, you are,” Derek said softly, rubbing his thumb along Stiles’ bottom lip. “We’d better get going then.”

Stiles kissed Derek’s thumb. “Later?” he asked, leaning in to give Derek a chaste kiss.

“I’d like that,” Derek whispered, stroking Stiles’ cheek. The two of them climbed into the truck and headed for town. About twenty minutes into the drive, Stiles gasped softly and swore. Derek braked and looked around quickly. “What is it?” Stiles didn’t say anything, just pointed and Derek shifted in his seat to look out the window, feeling disgust rise at the sight.

What had to be an Infected was lying in the ditch on the side of the road. It was too decomposed and shriveled to be anything but, and it was still moving. A large number of crows were bouncing nimbly around the body, snatching off bits of rotting flesh.

“I guess it doesn’t have enough muscle left to support itself standing anymore,” Derek whispered.

“I think I might throw up,” Stiles said, face scrunching up at the sight. “Augh, that’s so gross.”

Derek put his foot back on the gas, the sight of the cluster of birds in the rearview mirror turning his stomach. “Let’s just get this done and go home.”

The drive wasn't long to the hardware store and Stiles grabbed a buggy while Derek got a flat. They filled up with the necessities to build the things they needed back at the house in record time. Stiles continued to make faces as they drove by the now nearly consumed Infected as they passed it again, only visibly relaxing when they were back in the seclusion of the preserve. “Finally,” Stiles breathed and climbed out of the truck. “I think I hate going into town the longer we’re out here.”

“A necessary evil, I guess,” Derek said. He’d be happy to spend all their time out in the Preserve too, but for now, supplies still needed to be scavenged. They had already constructed a small smokehouse for game, and quickly built a small pen for the time being for the turkey. He brought a small bowl with water out, along with a handful of berries and insects that he’d caught. The turkey started jabbing at them right away and he was satisfied the turkey would last the night.

“Stiles,” Derek called and Stiles emerged from the smokehouse where he’d been working. “You have much more to do, or are we calling it a day?” The light was rapidly dimming and he had plans for another shower. The past week the generator had been kept off, but he thought it was worth it after the manual labor they’d done today.

“I think I’m done,” Stiles said and wiped his hands, closing the door to the smokehouse. “I set up a fire to smoke the rabbits we caught in the snares and some more of the deer meat we didn't cook over the fire. It’s smoking slow so it’ll keep if we want to cook some tomorrow without it being too dried out.” He walked over to Derek and smiled at him, looking over at their turkey. “At least our turkey seems to be happy now.”

“Maybe it was just grumpy because we interrupted its meal,” Derek said. “And then it didn’t find my finger very tasty.”

“Good thing, because your finger is my finger, not turkey food,” Stiles said with a chuckle. “Come on.” He smiled and tugged at the hem of Derek’s shirt before turning and heading towards the house. When he was inside he sighed and kicked off his boots and started undressing right at the door.

“Why don’t you head upstairs, and I’ll get the generator running,” Derek said, unable to keep from reaching out and running a hand down Stiles’ arm. That much skin unashamedly on display for him… he had to touch.

“Yeah, okay.” Stiles smiled and pecked Derek’s lips. “Don't take too long.” Stiles headed towards the stairs, stripping on his way and leaving a trail of clothes.

After Derek got the generator running, he headed upstairs, picking up Stiles’ clothes as he went and dumping them in a corner of their bedroom. He stripped his own off and joined Stiles to find him filling the large whirlpool.

“I figured we could relax in a bath instead of taking a shower this time,” Stiles said and smiled over at Derek. He reached his hand into the water and then climbed in, back pressing up against the cool porcelain. “Get in here, big guy.” Stiles opened his arms with grabby hands, giving Derek a wink.

Derek rolled his eyes, but stepped into the tub and settled his back against Stiles’ chest, sighing contentedly at the warm water enveloping his body. He dragged a hand idly along the surface of the water, before lacing his fingers with Stiles’ and bringing their entwined hands to rest on his stomach. “Good idea,” he said, voice languid.

Stiles placed a kiss on Derek’s shoulder, smiling against his skin, moving his free hand up to comb through Derek’s hair. “We had a good day today,” he said softly, placing another gentle kiss to Derek’s neck.

Derek tipped his head to the side. “We did, didn’t we,” he mumbled, relaxing more and more. Stiles’ fingers kept up their gentle massage and he rumbled in pleasure. He could feel a low burn of arousal starting in his gut as Stiles’ hips started moving slowly behind him. It was comfortable, not urgent, but slow and natural.

“Gotta say,” Stiles started, closing blunt teeth briefly on the back of Derek’s neck. “You chasing a turkey had to be the highlight of my day.” Stiles laughed, jiggling Derek as he held him and kissed his neck again. “I think you made a new best friend that’s going to be expecting you to get it more turkey friends.”

“Glad to be entertaining,” Derek said, hissing at the slight dig of teeth. “I’m sure I’ll be able to chase down some buddies for him. But in the meantime, how about you just keep touching me?” He slide their joined hands down his leg and dragged them back up the inside of his thigh, biting his lip and shuddering slightly.

“I can do that,” Stiles said, nuzzling the back of Derek’s neck then reached for a bar of soap. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll wash you.” He had to release Derek’s hand to get a washcloth and lather it up then started gently stroking Derek’s skin. “Sometimes I still can’t believe we have hot water.”

“I just plan on enjoying it for as long as we have it without having to boil pails over a fire,” Derek said, arching his back to press himself into Stiles’ hands. It had been a long time since they had leisurely cleaned themselves like this and he just kept soaking it all in. “That feels nice,” he said, turning his face to rub his nose against Stiles’ cheek.

“Yeah?” Stiles asked softly, running the rag down Derek’s abdomen and then each of his thighs. Stiles nosed at the back of Derek’s ear and placed a kiss there, running the wash cloth up the inside of Derek’s thigh again slowly. “We should take baths more often while we can.”

“I’m not going to argue that,” Derek said softly, biting back a moan as Stiles smoothed the cloth up his thigh again. “You drive me crazy,” he said, dropping his head back onto Stiles’ shoulder. “In the best way.”  
  
Stiles snorted softly and kissed over Derek’s pulse point. “It better be in the best way, cause you’re stuck with me.” Stiles reached down and gently washed Derek’s dick before pressing the cloth between his cheeks to wash him thoroughly. “Gotta get you all clean for me.” 

“Oh god,” Derek moaned, trying to spread his legs more for Stiles’ ministrations. He felt like everything had become pure sensation, the heat of Stiles at his back, the gentle touches to his most sensitive parts turning brain to mush.

“Should get all these knots out of your shoulders when we get to bed,” Stiles said, kissing over Derek’s shoulder again as he finished washing Derek’s body. He rinsed the cloth and set it aside, grabbing an empty cup from the edge. “Lean your head back,” he said, pouring water over Derek’s hair when he did, then squeezed some shampoo into his hand and started washing Derek’s hair.

“Getting washed and a massage? What did I do to deserve you?” Derek asked, rumbling in pleasure.

“Hmmm, well, I’m sure I could come up with a long list, but right now I just want to take care of you,” Stiles said, placing a kiss to Derek’s temple as he massaged his fingers against Derek’s scalp.

“I love you,” Derek groaned as Stiles hit a particularly good spot. “But what about you getting washed too?”

“Well, if you want, you can wash me when I’m done washing you,” Stiles said, tipping Derek’s head back to rinse his hair until it ran clean of suds. “I think you’re squeaky clean now.”

“I feel great, that’s for sure,” Derek said. He levered himself upright and turned around in the tub until he was facing Stiles. “Your turn,” he said softly. Derek squirted some shampoo into his hands and started lathering Stiles’ hair in return, smoothing his hair off his forehead in long sweeps.

Stiles smiled, moving his hands to Derek’s hips and pulling him in close, maneuvering Derek to straddle him. “We should probably see about another hair trim soon.” Stiles closed his eyes, moving his hands back over Derek’s ass.

Derek laughed as Stiles tugged him closer, wriggling to get comfortable. He dumped the cup of water to rinse Stiles’ hair and leaned forward to kiss him deeply, wasting no time in cleaning the rest of Stiles’ body. “How does that feel?” Derek asked as he cleaned Stiles’ cock and balls, using the same ghosting touches that Stiles had done for him.

“Like torture.” Stiles’ head dropped back to rest against the tub and he sighed. “I think you just like teasing.” Stiles snorted at that, giving Derek’s butt cheek a swat.

“I guess we both do,” Derek whispered, rubbing his lips against Stiles’ and pulling away as Stiles tried to kiss back. “Why don’t we move this to the bed? The water is getting cool.”

“Yeah, okay.” Stiles helped Derek up and stood after him, climbing out and pulling the plug to drain the tub. “Wishing it was a hot tub right about now,” Stiles said with a chuckle. “Infinite hot water.” He grabbed a towel and started drying off.

“I’ll put it on the list,” Derek said, smiling at Stiles. He grabbed his own towel and wrapped it around his waist, before tugging Stiles close and kissing him. Stiles sighed against his mouth and he tightened his arms around him, their skin radiating warmth.

“Why don't you dry off and get in bed?” Stiles breathed against Derek’s lips. “I’ll grab the Vaseline we found the other day so I can give you a massage.”

“Mmm, sounds good,” Derek murmured back. He quickly got himself dry and headed to the bed, climbing up and settling himself on his stomach in the middle of the mattress, resting his head in the pillows, arms tucked under his chin.

A few moments later Stiles came into the bedroom, climbing onto the bed and straddling the backs of Derek's thighs. "You fall asleep?" He asked, leaning down to give the back of Derek's neck a kiss.

“Not a chance,” Derek replied, arching his back so his ass was pushed up. When Stiles’ slick hands started pressing on his muscles, he groaned low and long.

"Stop being a tease," Stiles said, kissing Derek's neck again then rocked his dick against Derek's arched ass. Stiles dipped his fingers into the Vaseline and spread a thin layer over Derek's skin, starting to work out the knots Derek had in his shoulders.

Derek clenched his fingers in the pillow and muffled his noises into it. Stiles’ fingers found every sensitive spot and smoothed them out, making him practically melt into the mattress.

Stiles was quiet as he worked methodically, fingers digging and massaging Derek’s muscles, until his tanned skin was slick with Vaseline. He dropped kisses to Derek’s shoulders and back every now and then, hands trailing down over Derek’s lower back. “Still with me, big guy?” Stiles asked the mound of werewolf goo.

Derek groaned into the pillow, stretching his arms up toward the headboard and settling them back under his head again. “I’m here,” he said, voice muffled. “Just enjoying the attention.”

“Yeah, well, I still have a whole front of you to do,” Stiles said, hands massaging Derek’s ass then moving down to his legs as Stiles slid off of him. “Probably gonna have to wash the sheets tomorrow so they don't stay oily.”

Derek’s dick gave a twitch at the mental picture of Stiles paying his front as much attention as his back was currently getting. “We can strip the bed tonight… maybe turn the gennie on and use the washer and dryer.”

“Yeah, I guess we could,” Stiles said, shifting on the bed to rub Derek’s feet. “Or we could just wait until morning. I guess it depends if the bed gets dirty to the point of not being able to sleep in it.” Stiles chuckled.

Derek flexed his foot, Stiles’ hands digging into the instep, making him squirm a little. “Tickles,” he mumbled. “But don’t stop.”  He turned his head to the side, peeking over his shoulder. “Up to you how dirty the bed gets.”

Stiles smiled at that, massaging Derek’s other foot. “You don't think it’s strange that we haven’t done anything since we got home?” Stiles asked after a moment. “I mean, when we were out on the road we were always trying to find a safe place and took the moments when we had them, but since we’ve gotten home we just, haven’t.”

Derek bit his lip and curled his toes, but let Stiles keep smoothing along the skin of his foot. “I don’t know… maybe it had to do with the adrenaline while we were on the road. The danger, and the thought that any day might be our last.” He shifted more to meet Stiles’ eyes. “There was always that desperation and now, being here, we haven’t felt that.” Derek reached a hand out and laid it gently on Stiles’ knee. “I want you, I do. Badly. Maybe we just needed time to process being safe.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Stiles released Derek’s foot and moved his hand to rest over Derek’s on his knee. “I guess I just start thinking and worrying that something’s wrong or you know, you don't want me. Before we didn't really have any of that extra time to think about stuff like that. It was always life or death or food and water and stuff.”

Derek circled Stiles’ wrist and tugged him down, so they were both lying on their sides. “You know I’m in this forever. I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you, can’t imagine a time I wouldn’t want you.” He cupped Stiles’ face in his hand and pulled him into a kiss, slow and soft.

Stiles rested his forehead against Derek’s when they parted, drawing in a deep breath, hands moving over Derek’s back to keep him close. “Then be with me forever,” Stiles said softly. “Marry me?”

“Stiles,” Derek whispered, his breath catching. “Yes, _yes._ Of course, I’ll marry you.” He pulled Stiles close for another, more desperate kiss, his heart pounding in his chest and happiness coursing through him.

Stiles kissed Derek deeply, smiling into the kiss. “I know I promised to woo you,” he mumbled between kisses. “And that I’m supposed to have a ring, but I haven’t found one yet. I’ve been looking every time we go out, but your finger is so fat I can’t find your size,” Stiles teased, then laughed.

Derek snorted a laugh and choked, burying his face in Stiles’ neck. “I love you so much,” he wheezed. “And it was perfect.” He pulled back and looked into Stiles’ eyes. “You’re perfect.”

“Now who’s wooing?” Stiles chuckled and wrapped his arm around Derek, pulling him into another kiss. Stiles groaned softly into the kiss, hands roving Derek’s body as he pulled Derek flush against him. “I wanna make love to you,” Stiles breathed against Derek’s lips. “I made you a promise when we got home.”

The combination of lust, emotion and desire made Derek feel light headed. “God, yes,” he growled, digging his fingers into Stiles’ back and grinding against him. “I want it, Stiles, I do.”

Stiles kissed Derek wet and open, grinding his hips back against him, hand moving down to squeeze Derek’s ass. “God, it’s been so long. Since New York,” Stiles mumbled, fingers dipping between Derek’s cheeks and brushing over Derek’s hole. “Wanna eat you out first.”

Derek felt his hips buck at Stiles’ words and touch. “ _Fuck_ ,” he hissed. “Yes, please.” Derek kissed Stiles again, moaning at the slide of Stiles’ fingers over his hole. “How do you want me?” he mumbled against Stiles’ lips, still moving his hips sinuously.

Stiles flushed almost beet red. “Sitting on my face,” he muttered, then kissed Derek before pressing his fingers against Derek’s hole. “I want you on my face.”

Derek pulled back and looked at Stiles, who was blushing furiously. “That’s new,” he muttered. Stiles’ face fell and Derek quickly put his fingers under Stiles’ chin to tip it back up. “Can’t wait to try it.”

“I just figured, you know, with us being in our home and safe and stuff -” Stiles licked his lips, pupils blown wide as he studied Derek. “I want to lick you out and suck your cock and balls while you ride my face.”

“Fuck,” Derek whispered, his cock jerking. “Okay,” he said, kissing Stiles quickly. “Just… let me know if you can’t breathe. Pinch my leg or something.”

“I’ll tap your thigh, like this,” Stiles said, giving the back of Derek’s thigh two taps. He kissed Derek one last time before rolling onto his back and pulling at Derek’s arm. “Get up here you sexy beast.” Stiles grinned and licked his lips, drawing in the bottom one and teething it.

Derek laughed, feeling a little self conscious, before swinging his leg to straddle Stiles. He shuffled forward, his cock jutting up proudly, balls hanging heavy between his thighs. Derek paused and carefully maneuvered his legs around Stiles’ shoulders and grabbed the headboard, hovering above Stiles’ mouth.

“God you’re gorgeous,” Stiles breathed, leaning up and tonguing at Derek’s cock before dipping down and opening his mouth to take his balls into his mouth one at a time. He groaned, teasing him as he sucked and licked, hands moving to grip Derek’s ass and squeeze. Stiles released him with a wet pop and shimmied down just enough to nose between Derek’s cheeks and flick his tongue out against Derek’s hole.

“ _Jesus,_ ” Derek huffed, his fingers tightening convulsively on the headboard. He fought to keep himself still and let Stiles do what he pleased, but his cock gave another hard twitch as Stiles pushed his face between Derek’s ass cheeks.

Stiles moved his hands to grip Derek’s hips and pull him down onto his face, tongue pressing between Derek’s cheeks and massaging against his hole. He gave a soft, pleased sound, lapping at Derek’s entrance and trying to push his tongue in.

Derek grunted, trying not to grind down hard on Stiles’ face. He could feel Stiles’ breath puffing out of his nose, tickling against his balls and making him shudder. Derek started to reach one hand down to his aching cock, but froze and brought it back up to the headboard.  The only way he wanted to come right now was on Stiles’ cock.  He let his eyes drift shut and focused on the sensation of Stiles’ tongue pressed against his opening.

Stiles moved a hand and pushed it between them to suck on his fingers, wetting them and pressed his index finger to Derek’s hole, massaging against him. “You okay?” he mumbled against Derek’s thigh as he turned to brush a kiss there. “You’re pretty quiet up there.”

“God, more than okay,” Derek panted, arching his back to press back against Stiles. “You better not fucking stop.”

Stiles snorted a quiet laugh. “You better not come until you’re on my dick,” he breathed against wet skin, then closed his teeth on Derek’s thigh and gave him a playful nip. He pressed his finger firmly against Derek’s hole until the muscle gave way and sucked him in. Stiles turned his face, flicking his tongue and trying to press it into Derek with his finger as he crooked it.

Derek groaned softly. “Not planning on it,” he breathed. “Wanna feel you deep inside me before I come.” A spark of pleasure shot up his spine as Stiles’ finger found it’s destination and he felt the muscles in his thighs jump as he moaned.

Stiles fucked his finger into Derek, twisting and working him open before pressing firmly against Derek’s prostate and massaging. Stiles groaned softly, forcing his tongue into Derek and wiggling it around, face pressed flush against Derek’s ass. Stiles was hard, cock leaking against his abdomen, his free hand gripping and massaging Derek’s ass.

Derek started rocking his hips more forcefully, bitten off moans and pants falling from his lips. He looked down and saw the head of his cock starting to peek out of his foreskin, a pearly bead of precome welling up at the slit. “God, _Stiles_ , your mouth,” Derek said, tossing his head back and closing his eyes, feeling the stretch of finger and tongue.

Stiles licked and sucked around his finger, fucking his tongue into Derek right along with one finger, then two. He drew back just enough to nose along Derek’s balls and draw them into his mouth to suck them, rolling them against his tongue with another soft moan. He twisted his fingers inside of Derek, tugging at his rim as he drew them out to stretch him more and released Derek’s balls. “Fuck you taste so good,” Stiles breathed, moving his free hand around Derek’s thigh to grip his cock and bring the head to his mouth. “Fuck my mouth.” Stiles closed his lips over the tip, eyes fluttering shut as he pressed his fingers back into Derek’s heat.

“You’re going to kill me,” Derek muttered, eyes rolling back in his head as Stiles’ mouth closed over his erection. He carefully brought his hands down to cradle Stiles’ head and started pumping his hips gently, each thrust sliding him deeper into that amazing wet heat. “If you really want me to come on your cock,” Derek groaned, “I don’t know how much more I can take.” He clenched his ass around Stiles’ fingers and whimpered.

Stiles groaned around Derek’s cock, jaw relaxing as Derek’s hips did all the work, Derek fucking himself back on Stiles’ fingers and into his mouth. When Derek’s dick bumped the back of Stiles’ throat, he swallowed on the next thrust, taking him in and groaning around his dick again. Stiles grabbed Derek’s ass and held him there, throat convulsing.

Derek clenched his hands tightly in Stiles’ hair as he felt his cock going deeper into Stiles’ throat. He stuttered a groan through clenched teeth and fought against coming. After a moment, he felt Stiles’ fingers against his thigh and gently pulled out of his mouth. “Are you okay?” he asked, breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Stiles said, voice rough. He grinned and kissed Derek’s dick, then sucked on the tip before releasing him. “I’m great. Just didn't want you to come before I’m inside of you. Need to get the lube so I can slick you up for me.”

Derek shifted to the right, reaching for the drawer on the nightstand, groaning a little at the tug of Stiles’ fingers on his rim. The lube was right in the front of the drawer and he gently tossed it towards Stiles, and wiggled his hips a little in invitation.

“Ow,” Stiles said with a laugh as he dropped the bottle on his head, trying to get it open with one hand. He snorted another laugh and sighed, forced to withdraw his fingers from Derek’s heat and pressed a kiss to his inner thigh. “Come on, time to roll over so I can get you all nice and wet.” Stiles squeezed Derek’s ass with his free hand, urging him off of his face reluctantly.

Derek turned himself over onto his back and settled on the pillows, spreading his legs unashamedly. He still felt loose and open from Stiles’ fingers, much too empty for his liking. “Fill me up, Stiles,” he said, bending his knees and spreading himself further. “Get me wet for you.”

“I’m still trying to recover from lube concussion and you’re over here spreading yourself looking all sexy,” Stiles said and grinned, leaning over to give Derek an open, wet and needy kiss. “Mmm, god you’re gorgeous.” Stiles popped the bottle open and squeezed some lube out onto his fingers, slicking them up nice and wet before he reached down and slid them into Derek. “I bet I can get you dripping like an omega in heat. Like those stories you told me about.”

“Jesus,” Derek muttered, pressing his head back into the pillow. “You want that? Make me your bitch in heat?” He pressed his hips down, shoving Stiles’ fingers further inside, scratching his nails over the soft insides of his own thighs.

Stiles chased the red welts on Derek’s thighs with his lips, licking over them. “God yeah,” Stiles breathed, pumping his fingers into Derek slowly and twisting, then slid in a third finger. “Get you so wet and dripping I can slide right in. Fuck, you’ll be leaking around me.”

“Stiles,” Derek panted. “I want that, _please.”_  He tipped his head down to watch Stiles, intent between his legs. Derek could see his own cock throbbing with his heartbeat, a string of precome dripping from the head and pooling on his abs. He threw his arms above his head and clenched them tightly in the pillows, knuckles turning white.

Stiles sat back just enough to take the bottle and squeeze more lube onto his fingers, using them to guide the lube into Derek’s heat, getting him sopping wet. “Fuck, that’s hot.” He leaned over to give Derek a hungry kiss, then dipped down to lick and suck the precome from Derek’s abs, groaning softly. “God, I need to get in you.”

“Then do it,” Derek growled, pulling Stiles back up and kissing him again, languidly. He hiked his legs up until they were wrapped around Stiles’ thighs, holding him tightly.

“Mm, I like it when you get all growly,” Stiles teased when they parted from the kiss. He withdrew his fingers from Derek and slicked himself up, then rubbed the tip of his cock over Derek’s hole. “God you’re so wet.” Stiles kissed Derek deeply as he pressed in, groaning into Derek’s mouth.

Derek moaned low and long at the smooth glide of Stiles’ cock filling him up in one smooth thrust. “You feel amazing,” he panted, gliding his hands up Stiles’ back, feeling them pressed together. “So good, Stiles.”

Stiles kissed across Derek’s neck as they laid flushed against one another, rocking his hips as if trying to press further into Derek. He sighed and nuzzled against Derek’s neck, pressing a kiss behind his ear. “I love you, so much.” He nosed at Derek’s cheek and brushed a kiss over Derek’s lips as he started rocking, shallow thrusts to tease them both. “You feel so damn good.”

“I love you too,” Derek murmured, kissing back sweetly. He pulled his legs higher, locking them around Stiles’ waist, sighing as that pulled Stiles’ cock even deeper. Derek’s own dick was leaking copiously between them, Stiles’ stomach gliding smoothly along its length.

“God, Derek. Wish I could breed you up full and knot you and give you pups.” Stiles licked and sucked along Derek’s pulse point, hips thrusting slowly against him and grinding as if trying to knot him. “Get started on that family we want. Fill up these rooms in our home.” Stiles closed his teeth on Derek’s neck, biting gently in tease. “Wish I could see you round with them. You’d be so fucking gorgeous.”

Derek felt his cock give a hard twitch, the prospect of being able to carry Stiles’ pups pushing buttons he didn’t even know he had. “God, can you imagine?” he asked, groaning. “You’d fill me up so big, be able to feel your baby growing inside me.” He pressed his heels into Stiles’ lower back, encouraging him to move faster. Stiles groaned and kissed Derek fiercely, grinding his hips against Derek almost painfully, before starting sharper, faster thrusts that sent Derek hurtling towards his own orgasm. “Don’t stop, Stiles,” he gasped.

“Never stop,” Stiles said, thrusting forward a handful of times before Derek spasmed around him and came all over his own stomach. Stiles whined and followed suit, his hips stuttering as he emptied himself. Stiles collapsed and buried his face against Derek’s neck. He smiled, nuzzling and pressing a kiss there. “We should totally do that more often.”

Derek let his legs fall from around Stiles’ waist, every part of his body buzzing pleasantly from his orgasm. He didn’t even care about the mess that was smearing between their bellies. “I am one hundred percent okay with doing that more often,” he said, rubbing his nose against Stiles’.

“Mm, yeah?” Stiles grinned, kissing the tip of Derek’s nose and rocking his hips, still pressed inside of Derek. “I think I could get used to breeding you more often. Although, I’d totally miss your knot and you know how much I love your knot.” Stiles raised his clean hand to card through Derek’s hair. “I love you and I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but you.”

“Good,” Derek said, mock sternly, before smiling wide enough his cheeks hurt. “I can’t wait to see what kind of future we build here. Together.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day guys!

Derek held the turkey tucked firmly under his arm as he headed for their coop. It had only taken a day of labor to build a fairly generously sized dwelling for their rapidly growing brood of turkeys. Derek’s next plan was to erect a small barn, and hopefully they could populate it with some larger livestock. Although, he wasn’t really looking forward to trying to track some down. The door of the coop creaked open as he pulled it and Derek was greeted by the sounds of twelve excited turkeys. He gently placed the newcomer on the floor and watched it investigate its new roommates. “Be nice to your new friend,” Derek admonished, before latching the coop firmly.

He walked around the coop and smiled as he heard Stiles singing softly to himself. The weather over the past few weeks had been mild and Stiles had taken full advantage of it, working busily to start as many plants as he could. The porch of their house was littered with pots, tools, bags of potting soil, seed packets and other items. The project held Stiles’ focus almost to the point of obsession, but it didn’t overshadow their renewed passion after the night of their engagement. The days had passed quickly in the company of each other and the task of trying to rebuild their hope for the future. There were still little to no signs of other people, Infected or healthy, but Derek didn’t think that was going to last forever. He just planned on enjoying the peace while they had it.

Stiles smiled and looked up to Derek when he stepped onto the porch, then back down at the pot he was working on. “How’s our new buddy doing with his new family?” Stiles asked, dropping a few seeds into the pot and covering them.

“They seemed welcoming enough,” Derek said, bending to press a kiss to Stiles’ hair. “Let’s see how it goes through the night.” He dropped into a wicker chair on the porch and bent over, peering at Stiles’ work for the morning. “What’re you planting now?”

Stiles grinned. “Broccoli! I was never much of a fan of it before, but I think I could live with some broccoli right now.” Stiles laughed softly. “Umm, I planted some arugula in this pot over here.”

“After our diet the past few months, I am more than ready for any fresh fruit and vegetables we can grow,” Derek said, smiling. “I should probably get moving on a large plot for you to transplant into, huh?”

“Probably. I mean, I’ve already got garlic and onions and asparagus and - well, a lot of things going. I picked out all the rocks that I could from the plot where I want to put it, but we need to till it. We don't have a tiller so we’ll have to work on it with hoes or something. I wanted to build a greenhouse too. To see if we can grow our summer veggies and fruits during the cooler months.”

“Can’t hurt to try,” Derek mused, mentally figuring what they might need from the hardware store. “We have a little while before it gets cooler, I think we can get it done.” He got up from the chair and squatted behind Stiles, putting his hands on his shoulders and massaging them gently.

“Ungh, keep doing that,” Stiles said and smiled, closing his eyes and leaning his head back for a kiss. “Massages are good.”

“Yes, they are,” Derek said smugly, digging his thumbs into the base of Stiles’ neck. “What do you say to me, making you some dinner while you finish up out here?”

“Ooo, what are you making? I swear, my stomach is already growling just at the thought of food.” Stiles let his head drop forward, giving a pleased sound. “Can probably finish up quick and help you.”

“I was thinking spaghetti. Those jars of sauce we picked up a week ago have been calling my name.” Derek worked his hands down Stiles’ spine, smoothing out the knots and tense muscles.

Stiles chuckled and gave another soft groan. “I think you should give me a massage for an appetizer and then I can help you with dinner. Or maybe you can have me for an appetizer, massage included.”

Derek pressed a kiss to the back of Stiles’ neck and hummed. “That does sound appealing,” he murmured into Stiles’ ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth and biting it gently.

Stiles shivered, pulling his gloves off and moving a hand to wrap around the back of Derek’s neck. He sighed, tilting his head and enjoying Derek’s attention. “I’d say you could have me right here, but we don't keep lube on the porch.” Stiles threaded his fingers through Derek’s hair and craned his neck to give him a kiss. “Meet you inside in a couple of minutes?”

“Don’t take longer than that,” Derek breathed into Stiles’ ear, giving it a final kiss before standing up and heading into the house, making a beeline for the kitchen to wash his hands. He puttered around, pulling out the dishes and ingredients for dinner when he heard the door open and shut.

“You know, soon enough we’re going to have a forest on our front porch,” Stiles said, walking into the kitchen. He smiled and washed his hands, then leaned back against the counter to watch Derek work.

“Can’t wait to see it,” Derek said, putting a pot of water on the stove. He walked over to Stiles and leaned in close, putting his hands on each side of Stiles on the counter. “You’re doing amazing work out there.” Derek kissed Stiles deeply, pulling his lower lip between his teeth and nipping it.

Stiles whimpered softly, chasing Derek’s lips for another kiss, hands moving to Derek’s hips and pulling him in flush against him. “You’re doing amazing work, too. We get to have fresh eggs now.” Stiles grinned and moved his hands to Derek’s ass, giving it a squeeze. “We have a turkey herd.”

Derek snorted with laughter. “Your obsession with those eggs again.” He grinned and stroked a thumb over Stiles’ jaw before leaning in and mouthing along Stiles’ neck. “My appetite, on the other hand, is for something else right now.” Derek scraped his teeth along Stiles’ neck, before sucking a mark just above his collarbone, relishing the musky taste of his skin, sweat and something that was uniquely Stiles.

Stiles gave a happy sigh, tilting his head back in offering to Derek's mouth. "Yeah? What are you hungry for?" Stiles pulled up the back of Derek's shirt and pushed his hand down the back of Derek's jeans, needing to touch skin.

“For every part of you I can taste,” Derek said, moving to the other side of Stiles’ neck. After sucking another dark mark there, he grabbed Stiles by the hips and turned him to face the counter, pulling Stiles’ shirt over his head. Derek nosed at the sweat damp hair at the base of Stiles’ skull, gently grabbing his wrists and pulling his hands until the palms were flat on the counter’s surface. “Stay,” he murmured.

Stiles whined, pressing back against Derek’s hips, keeping his hands on the counter. “Where are you going? You should totally stay too. Dinner can wait.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” Derek said, drawing his hands up Stiles’ arms, over his shoulders and down the line of his back to his ass. He palmed it through Stiles’ jeans, squeezing it lightly before bringing his hands around to the front, flicking open the button and pulling down the zip. Derek dropped slowly to his knees, dragging Stiles’ jeans and underwear down over his thighs.

Stiles drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, dick already half-hard and filling fast. “Good, cause I think I totally like you right there.” Stiles arched his back, begging for more with his body.

Derek cupped Stiles’ cheeks in his hands, massaging them and spreading him open, blowing a breath against Stiles’ hole. Everything smelled stronger and muskier after the day’s labor and Derek could feel his nostrils flaring and mouth watering. He leaned in and nuzzled at Stiles’ hanging balls, lapping at them gently. “I love the way you smell,” he breathed, dragging his tongue up Stiles’ crack. “The way you taste.” Derek dragged his stubble along Stiles’ backside, making the skin pink up. “Everything about you.”

Stiles groaned softly, chasing Derek’s touch as he tried to wiggle back more. “Good thing you’re stuck with me then.” Stiles’ dick was already fully hard and beginning to wet. “You’re such a tease.”

“You like it,” Derek said, rubbing his hands up the outside of Stiles’ thighs, before burrowing his face back between Stiles’ cheeks. He dragged his tongue along Stiles’ hole and gripped Stiles’ hips tightly as he started working his tongue around the furled muscle. His chin was dripping wet from his attention to Stiles’ hole, his own cock starting to throb in his jeans as the scent of Stiles’ arousal grew stronger.

Stiles’ head dropped forward and he whimpered, grinding back, only to be held still by Derek’s strong hands. “God, fuck. That feels so good. Wanna fuck myself on your tongue.”

Derek rumbled deep in his throat, squeezing Stiles’ hips in response, before he started working the tip of his tongue into Stiles’ hole, fucking in and out. He snaked one of his hands around to Stiles’ leaking erection, grasping it and squeezing it rhythmically.

Stiles moaned, fingering the counter. He rocked back onto Derek’s tongue when it breached him, carefully rolling his hips with each press of Derek’s tongue into his hole. “God, fuck.”

Derek gave Stiles’ cock a final squeeze before pulling his face away and bringing his hands to Stiles’ backside, using his thumbs to massage Stiles’ hole. He gently tugged at Stiles’ rim, teasingly dipping one thumb inside, feeling the hot muscle clenching around it. “Still good up there?” Derek asked, voice rough.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. More than good,” Stiles breathed. “Should just stretch me open on your dick. Derek, _please_.”

"Sure you can handle it?" Derek asked, pressing his thumb in up to the knuckle.  "Because right now, I'd love nothing more than to bury myself in you."

Stiles whimpered, fucking himself back onto Derek’s thumb. “Yeah. Fuck. I can take it. Get the lube. I need you in me.”

"You want it right here?" Derek smirked, standing up and pressing a kiss to Stiles' shoulder.

“Unless you have a better idea,” Stiles said, turning to look at Derek and wiggled his brows. “Where do you want me?”

Derek hummed thoughtfully.  "I think I like you here, being so good for me, holding onto that counter." He gave Stiles' butt a gentle smack. "Keep being a good boy and I'll be right back to give you what you need." Derek made quick work of fetching the lube, smiling when he got back to the kitchen and saw Stiles still in the same spot.  

“Can I at least kick off my pants and underwear?” Stiles asked, craning to look at Derek and wiggling his butt again. “Come and get it, big guy.” Stiles grinned and licked his lips, drawing the bottom one in and teething it.

"That's fine", Derek said, unbuttoning his own jeans, moaning as his cock sprang free. "I like you being able to spread those legs wide for me." He strode over to Stiles, and pressed himself against his back, rubbing his dick between the globes of Stiles' ass.

“Gonna take me from behind like this?” Stiles asked, leaning back against Derek and pressing his ass to Derek’s hips, grinding against him. “Breed and knot me like a good bitch for you? God, fill me up so damn good.”

Derek grabbed a handful of Stiles' hair and pulled his head back gently but firmly, creating a long line of delicious skin begging for his mouth. He sunk his teeth in slowly, grinding his cock against Stiles' ass, before backing away a fraction and slicking his dick with lube. Without preamble, he guided it into Stiles' tight hole, growling at the sensation.   

Stiles let out a long moan, hands gripping the edge of the counter, knuckles white, as Derek pressed in. “Oh, god. Feels so fucking good. _Derek._ ” Stiles’ eyes fell shut as he sighed and then whimpered softly.

"So do you, " Derek grunted, pistoning his hips, the drag of Stiles' clenching hole, hot and perfect. "I want you to come for me, Stiles," he huffed, his sharp thrusting stealing his breath.

“Yeah, fuck, yeah. I can do that,” Stiles panted, head lolling back onto Derek’s shoulder on another moan. “Please, god. Derek. Need to touch you.”

"You've done so well, staying still for me," Derek said. "You can move, Stiles. Move. Make yourself come and pull my orgasm out of me, milking me dry." Derek's mind had narrowed to the movement of their bodies, so keyed up he could already feel the tingle of orgasm at the base of his spine.

Stiles whined, releasing the counter and snaking a hand into Derek’s hair, tugging him down to his throat. “Mark me,” he panted, grinding hard back against Derek’s cock. Stiles moaned and gripped Derek’s ass with his other hand as if trying to force him deeper into him. “God, fuck. I’m gonna come.” Stiles groaned and tensed, dick jerking and ass spasming around Derek as he came untouched.

"God, Stiles," Derek panted. Stiles offering his neck, so trusting, never failed to drive Derek crazy. He sunk his teeth into the vulnerable skin, whining around his mouthful as the base of his dick swelled rapidly, locking him inside Stiles' body. His hips shoved forward as he pulsed and twitched, emptying himself.

Stiles was still clinging to Derek, giving a pleased sound as Derek’s knot tugged on the rim of his hole. “Mmmm, so good.” He grinned and craned his neck to give Derek a kiss once Derek withdrew his teeth, licking at Derek’s fangs. “Now you have to carry me to the couch whenever we can move.” Stiles laughed softly. “Unless we’re standing here until your knot goes down.”

"I'll carry you wherever you want," Derek murmured, dragging his nose down Stiles' neck.

“In a few minutes,” Stiles agreed, fingers stroking through Derek’s hair. “I totally came all over the cabinets. Oops.” Stiles chuckled, pulling Derek’s arm around him.

Derek pushed his head into Stiles’ hand, savoring the fingers dragging against his scalp. His cock still gave the occasional twitch as he pulsed more come into Stiles’ body. Each time it happened, he moaned quietly, tugging Stiles closer, not wanting any space between their bodies.

Stiles leaned against the counter, grinding back against Derek. “I’m totally cool with these daytime sex events, but next time we should totally bring a chair,” Stiles teased, rubbing the back of Derek’s neck as he arched against him and gave a pleased sound.

“Mmmm, yeah,” Derek agreed, licking sweat off Stiles’ neck. He stood upright and slid his arms around Stiles’ waist. “Hang on,” he said, before carefully lifting Stiles just enough to carrying him to the dining room table and settling himself in the chair, Stiles seated on his lap. “Better?” he asked, stroking his hands over the insides of Stiles’ thighs.

“Oh, yeah,” Stiles breathed, dropping his head back on Derek’s shoulder. “Better for relaxing for however long we’re tied. Think it’ll be for a while?”

“A bit,” Derek said, lipping at Stiles’ jawline. “Not that you ever seem to mind.” He nipped at Stiles’ skin gently, smirking.

“Of course I don't mind,” Stiles said, tipping his head, offering Derek his neck. “You know I love it when you knot me. God, I feel so full.”

“Good,” Derek murmured, his hands drifting closer to Stiles’ balls. “Just wish I could fill your belly up just as full with our pups.” He gently rolled Stiles’ balls in his hand, tugging at Stiles’ cock with the other.

Stiles chuckled and writhed against Derek, hands moving up into Derek’s hair. “Yeah,” Stiles breathed. “Fuck, I wanna carry ‘em for us. _Derek_.”

Stiles’ cock was filling rapidly, and Derek kept stroking it smoothly. With his other hand, his fingers wandered down to Stiles’ hole, stretched wide around the base of his knot. “God, Stiles,” he groaned. “I’d love that so much.” Stiles kept shifting and flexing, his ass squeezing tight around Derek’s knot, making Derek’s eyes flutter. “Can you come again for me?” he asked, panting. “I want to see you covering yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fuck. I can,” Stiles panted, Derek’s knot making him whine as it pressed firmly against his prostate. “God, already so close.” Stiles tugged and gripped Derek’s hair, twisting it in his fingers. It only took a handful of strokes for Stiles’ dick to jerk in Derek’s hand, coming over Derek’s first and his own abdomen. “ _Oh, fuck_.”

Derek sighed in satisfaction as Stiles spent himself again, the smell of him getting even stronger. “I love you,” he said, lacing his fingers with Stiles and bringing their hands to his mouth, laying a gentle kiss across the knuckles.

“I love you,” Stiles echoed, turning his head to place kisses along Derek’s cheek and jaw. “So much.” He gave Derek’s hand a squeeze and sighed. “We had a really good day.”

“Let’s keep it going,” Derek said. “In a bit, we can get cleaned up and then you can go relax while I make you spaghetti.”

It took about thirty more minutes for Derek’s knot to go down, before he swept Stiles in his arms and carried him to their shower. After getting cleaned up, Stiles curled up on the sofa while Derek busied himself in the kitchen, filling the house with the mouthwatering scent of sauce, that Derek made sure to doctor up with his own spices.  “I hope you’re hungry,” he said, raising his voice. “Because I made a ton of noodles.”

“I’m starving!” Stiles called back from the couch. “But I’m more of a sauce man. I like my spaghetti saucy and meaty.” Stiles snorted a laugh and got up from the couch, walking into the kitchen. “It smells delicious.”

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of sauce too,” Derek said, smiling. “I just wish we had garlic bread.”

“Well, maybe next time we go into town I’ll try to raid places for cooking books so I can figure out how to make bread from scratch. Then when we have our garden going we’ll have plenty of garlic and I can make us some garlic bread.” Stiles came up behind Derek, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his neck then hooked his chin over Derek’s shoulder. His stomach growled. Stiles laughed. “Sorry.”

“You make me from scratch garlic bread and I’ll marry you twice,” Derek said, stirring the sauce. “The noodles are in the sink, dig in before your stomach eats itself.” He turned the burner down to simmer and grabbed two plates out of the cupboard, handing one to Stiles.

Stiles took his place and went to the sink to get noodles. “I think my stomach is already eating itself,” he said, filling his plate and then Derek’s. “Sauce me.” He held out his plate for the yummy meat sauce Derek was strategically keeping from him.

“Hopefully it tastes good,” Derek said. “I’ve never had venison in spaghetti sauce before.” He dropped a generous ladleful over Stiles’ noodles, before dumping just as much on his own plate.

"I'm sure it tastes great. Venison is like one of the best meats out there. I loved eating it before the world ended. We never really had any after -" Stiles paused and smiled a little. "I'm sure it's awesome."

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Derek said, taking his plate to the dining room table. They’d actually left the generator running, and the house was fairly lit up, bathing the yard in golden light. Derek felt one of those surreal moments where he had to remind himself that the past nine months hadn’t been a dream, that the world was an empty shell of what it was. It just felt like a normal night, eating dinner, sitting in a lighted house. He shook his head to clear it and took a large bite of food, moaning at the explosion of flavors.

"If you keep that up we aren't going to get through dinner," Stiles teased and groaned at his own mouthful. He quietly dug into his food, shoving noodles and meat sauce into his mouth.

Derek snorted and coughed, noodles shooting back into his throat. He gently cleared them and shook his head, blushing. Derek raised his fork and froze, cocking his head to the side. “Stiles,” he said, low and urgent. “I hear a heartbeat.”

"It's probably a deer," Stiles said around a mouthful of noodles. "I put that food out to try and attract them closer to the house, remember?"

Derek strained his ears as the heartbeat grew louder, hearing the sounds of soft footfalls moving over the grass. “Stiles… it’s not a deer.”

Stiles paused and looked out into the living room. "Derek we have a lot of lights on. If it's - they already know we're here." He stood and glanced back to the kitchen before grabbing his fork and clutching it tight.

The footsteps reached the porch, climbing the steps slowly. Derek felt his face changing as he shifted, before he stood and headed towards the door. He was about four feet away from it when there came a tentative knock, and he glanced back at Stiles in confusion.

Stiles shook his head and motioned for Derek to get away from the door and mouthing, _they might shoot you through the door_.

Derek shifted his body to the side, wondering what to do, when through the door came a female voice, sounding shaky and unsure. “Stiles? Derek? Are you in there?” Derek felt his heart jump into his throat. He _knew_ that voice.

Stiles stared, his face twisting in disbelief. Derek could hear Stiles’ heart hammering in his chest as Stiles watched the door and another, "Stiles?" came through the heavy wood. Stiles lunged for the door and yanked it open, staring wide eyed at the sight before them. "L-Lydia?" he breathed.

She stood there on the porch, looking almost as spooked and disbelieving as Derek felt. She blinked her eyes and reached a hand out, touching Stiles’ cheek. “You’re real,” she whispered. “You’re actually here.” She was gaunt, her hair stringy and matted, clothes dirty, but she was there.

The fork in Stiles’ hand clattered to the floor and he surged forward, arms wrapping around her tightly, burying his face against her hair. “Lydia,” he mumbled, breathing her in and squeezing her. “We thought - oh my god.”

Lydia’s arms came around Stiles and she clutched at him just as fiercely. Derek moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder, feeling her shaking with emotion. “I thought I was going to be alone in this place forever,” Lydia said, voice thick. “When I first saw you, I convinced myself I was hallucinating. That there was no way you were here.”

“We checked all the houses and didn't find anyone,” Stiles breathed, eyes squeezed shut as he kissed her hair. “Where were you? I just - I can’t believe you’re here.”

“It’s a long story,” she said, sobbing out on a breath.

Derek put his hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “Why don’t we get her inside, let her sit down.” He gently maneuvered them away from the open door, shutting it quietly. Stiles and Lydia still hadn’t let go of each other as they moved into the living room and collapsed on the couch. Derek sat down on Stiles’ other side, rubbing his back.

Stiles didn't say anything for a long time, one arm wrapped around Lydia, his other hand gripping Derek’s knee until his knuckles were white. “Do you want something to drink? We have food, too. Derek made spaghetti.”

Lydia let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously close to a sob. “I can’t remember the last time I had spaghetti,” she said.

“Just wait here, I’ll bring you a plate,” Derek said, not wanting to make her get up. He hurried to the kitchen and put some food together, bringing it back and carefully setting it on her lap.

Lydia stared down at the plate for a while, before taking a tentative bite. Her eyes fell closed and a few tears slipped from the corners. “Is this really happening?” she whispered, before taking a few more bites.

“Why don’t you finish eating, and then you can take a hot shower,” Derek suggested. “Explanations can wait until tomorrow.”

Stiles watched Lydia eat quietly, still holding her close. When she was done, Derek took her plate and Stiles led Lydia to a guest bedroom and showed her the shower. Derek could hear Stiles puttering around upstairs, bringing Lydia some of his clothes and setting up the bathroom for her.

Derek quickly cleaned the kitchen and went upstairs to find Stiles lingering outside the guest bedroom. He could hear the faint sounds of the shower running. “Are you okay?” he asked, putting a hand on Stiles’ arm.

“I don't know,” Stiles said honestly, leaning into Derek. He breathed out slowly, as if he’d been holding it in the entire time. “It’s just… I can't believe she’s here. What if - what if everyone else is out there somewhere, too?”

“Anything is possible,” Derek said. “We can only hope.” He put his arms around Stiles and held him close. “We’re not alone.”

Stiles turned and buried himself against Derek’s chest, wrapping his arms around him. “Now I have to remember how to be social,” Stiles joked, laughing thickly against Derek’s chest.

Derek chuckled softly. “It’ll come back to us.” He pulled back when he heard the shower switch off. “Do you want to tell her goodnight?”

Stiles nodded and turned up to give Derek a soft kiss. “Yeah. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Derek said, kissing Stiles again. “Go talk to her.” He turned and headed into their bedroom, mind still trying catch up with what had just happened. Everything was different now. He could feel the corners of his mouth tugging up, as he climbed into their bed and waited for Stiles.

~

After a few minutes Stiles knocked on Lydia’s door and waited until he heard her say, _Come in_ , before he opened the door and stepped into the room. “Hey,” he said softly. “I, uh - do you need anything before we turn in?”

Lydia shook her head, toweling her hair. “What more could I ask for? Warm food, an actual hot _shower,_ a clean bed.” She draped the towel over the bathroom doorknob and turned back, holding herself with her arms. “I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to wake up alone in my house tomorrow.”

“Well unless you plan on sleepwalking through the preserve, that’s highly unlikely,” Stiles said with a small smile. “I put some candles on the nightstand and a flashlight. I’ll go down and turn off the generator before I go to bed.” Stiles shoved his hands into his pockets so he wouldn't reach out and cling to Lydia like he wanted to.

Lydia smiled a little, but still just stood there, holding her arms. “Well, goodnight then Stiles.”

“Goodnight.” Stiles reluctantly turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him. After a trip to the basement he hurried back upstairs and sighed, stripping and leaving a trail of clothes to his and Derek’s bed. “This better not be some messed up nightmare.” Stiles crawled into bed with Derek, slipped under the covers and scooted in close to wrap his arms around him.

“If it is, we’re sharing each others dreams then,” Derek said. “I wonder how she ended up all alone here.”

“I don't know,” Stiles mumbled. “But she’ll tell us when she’s ready. I mean, I want to know what happened to everyone else, but - I don't… you know? I guess not knowing let’s me have some hope.” Stiles sighed and kissed Derek’s chest, tucking himself there against his mate. “I’m just glad she’s here.”

“Me too,” Derek replied quietly. He stroked Stiles’ back and stared up at the ceiling. The moon was bright, streaming through the trees and casting moving shadows along the walls. “I don’t know when I’m going to be able to sleep,” he muttered.

"Yeah, I know," Stiles agreed. "It's a lot to take in."

They lay there together in silence, quietly touching. After a long while, there came a gentle knock at their door. “Can I come in?” Lydia asked through the door.

“Of course,” Derek said, shuffling more upright. “We’re not sleeping yet.” The door opened and Lydia slowly walked in, shutting it behind her. She came up to Stiles’ side of the bed and sat down, dipping the mattress.

“I can’t sleep. I can’t get the fear out of my head that you’ll both be gone when I wake up.” She sniffed and tears started rolling down her cheeks, before she wiped them away hastily. “It’s been so many months of just existing, wondering why I even should keep going. Now you’re both here and I don’t know how to handle even being out of the same room for an hour.”

Stiles shifted in bed to reach out and lay a hand over Lydia's. "We still get that way, too," Stiles assured her. "It's okay."

“Do you think…” she started and laughed ruefully. “Could I maybe stay in here? With you both?” She clutched at Stiles’ hand a little desperately.

Stiles gave her hand a squeeze and glanced at Derek before he said, "You know, before the whole world ending, this would've been like one of my sweetest fantasies." He smiled and snorted a little. "The three of us - okay, stopping," Stiles added at the look he was getting from Derek.

“Really, Stiles?” Derek muttered, but his mouth fell open as Lydia let out a burst of hysterical laughter. She was actually bent over, clutching at her stomach as she let out something that sounded almost like a cackle. In a matter of seconds though, the laughter turned to sobs as tears started streaming down her face. Derek looked to Stiles, a look of alarm on his face.

“Oh, no, no. That wasn't meant to create tears,” Stiles said as he bolted up in bed and reached for Lydia, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s okay. We’re here.”

Lydia clutched at Stiles, hiccuping into his shoulder. Derek rested a hand on her back and rubbed in gentle circles. “It’s not you,” she gasped. “It’s just… a lot of emotions. It’s a lot to try to handle.”

“I know,” Stiles said and sighed softly. He dragged Lydia back into bed with them and tucked her in next to him, giving Derek an apologetic look for not asking first. “It’s okay. We’re not going anywhere.”

Derek shook his head at Stiles and mouthed, _it’s fine, it’s fine_ , before scooching himself back down and twisting onto his side. He draped an arm over Stiles and gently laid it on Lydia’s waist. Her face was still pressed to Stiles’ shoulder, her breathing ragged but getting slowly more even.

Stiles stroked Lydia’s hair until she fell asleep, barely awake himself. He sighed and snuggled back against Derek, letting their warmth pull him into sleep.

***

Derek felt his eyes flutter open to the sound of conversation drifting up from the first floor. His nostrils flared at the smell of eggs cooking and his stomach rumbled. It was surreal, being able to lie there and actually hear Stiles talking with Lydia. He was fervently thankful the previous night hadn’t been a dream. Even having one more pack member back made a difference.

Derek stretched, rotating his ankles and feeling a burn up his legs before he relaxed and sighed, rolling out of bed. He grabbed some clothes and quickly dressed, heading downstairs to the kitchen.

Stiles looked up when Derek walked into the kitchen and smiled. "Morning sleepyhead." He reached out and pulled Derek into a brief kiss. "Sleep okay?"

“Slept great,” Derek said against Stiles’ lips. He scratched at the back of his head and stifled a yawn. “How about the two of you?”

Lydia was seated at one of the bar stools lining the counter, sipping at a glass of water. “The best I’ve slept in months,” she said quietly, before looking up to meet Derek’s eyes. “I’m sorry if it was awkward.”

“Of course not,” Derek said softly. “Physical closeness with pack members isn’t considered awkward.”

"I made eggs. You know Lydia has never had a turkey egg?" Stiles dished out eggs onto plates and handed one to Derek then leaned over to place Lydia's in front of her. "I told her about our turkey herd."

“I wouldn’t have pictured the two of you as aspiring farmers,” Lydia said, spearing a forkful of eggs.

“Didn’t see much choice in the matter,” Derek said, shrugging. “Although I have to admit, it’s been more… fulfilling trying to build a home the old-fashioned way than I thought it would be.”

“I mean, it’s a lot of work, but I actually enjoy it.” Stiles shrugged and picked at his own eggs. “Kinda hard to believe. I never thought I’d have the focus to do something like this, but cans aren’t going to last forever. And I’ve raided all the bookstores and libraries for books on gardening and farming and livestock. Some of them are kinda old but the information is still good.”

“Well, I’m impressed,” Lydia said, taking another bite of eggs. “And I am most definitely not turning down fresh food.” She closed her eyes and chewed. “It’s amazing.”

Stiles grinned. “Derek’s building me a greenhouse so we can try to have fresh vegetables all year long.”

“Really?” Lydia asked, raising her eyebrows and Derek nodded. “You’ll have to show me around after breakfast. I’d like to help out if I can.”

“Yeah, okay. Derek has to feed the turkeys anyway. We can walk with him. I’m hoping to transplant some fruit into the garden so we don't have to go out foraging for it like we have been. Maybe you can help me with berries or something.”

“Sounds good,” Lydia said, before she tapped a finger against her mouth. “I’m also wondering if you boys gave any thought into figuring out a source of renewable energy. That generator is great, but gas won’t last forever.”

“I’ve tried looking into it. I mean, I’ve got some books, but I’m not exactly an electrician.” Stiles finished his eggs and looked up at Lydia. “Oh, but, you’re a math genius. I’m sure between the three of us we can figure something out.”

“I was already trying, but logistically I just couldn’t do it on my own. I have some notes at my house that I could get,” Lydia said. “If you don’t mind us taking a trip there.”

Stiles fidgeted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, we try not to go into town unless we really need to get something. But notes are important. And you can get anything you need to bring back to the house.”

“Speaking of going into town, how did you get out here anyway?” Derek asked, curious.

“Drove to the edge of the Preserve and then walked,” Lydia said. “I figured the sound of a car engine might freak you out more.” She shrugged. “And it’s not like there are any dead ones walking around here anymore.”

“What?” Derek asked sharply, looking at Stiles in surprise.

Stiles raised his brows. “Dead ones?” When Lydia nodded, he glanced at Derek and shrugged. “We call them Infected. But, uh, what do you mean there aren’t any around here anymore?”

“You haven’t noticed?” Lydia asked, arching an eyebrow. She finished the last of her eggs and started talking. “When the weather started getting warmer, some of them seemed to be heading north. The ones that stayed? They rotted away. Whatever force was driving them, it couldn’t prevent normal deterioration. Eventually, they couldn’t support their own weight and most of them were eaten by scavengers.”

Stiles made a face. “We saw one the other day getting eaten by some birds when we went into town. It was completely disgusting.”

“There you have it,” Lydia said. “I imagine it’s more of a problem in the heavier populated areas, but out here? The problem has pretty much been resolved.” She propped her chin on her hand. “Not that they came near me anyway. Probably something to do with me being banshee, too close to death for them to notice.”

Stiles stood and gathered the empty plates, moving to the sink to put them in. “Well, at least the only thing we have to worry about out here are people, then. And there aren’t that many left.”

“No, there’s not,” Lydia whispered, looking down at the floor.

Derek moved to sit next to her on another stool. “Lydia,” he began. “What happened here? Why are you here alone?” Lydia rubbed her hands over her eyes and Derek felt guilt swoop through his stomach. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.

“No, it’s okay,” Lydia said, pushing off the stool and standing. “Why don’t we take a walk and I can tell you what I remember.”

When Lydia walked towards the back door, Stiles came up behind Derek and smacked him in the back of the head, pointed his finger at him and had a silent conversation for all of two seconds about asking Lydia about being alone in Beacon Hills. “I need to get my shoes,” he said suddenly and walked off towards the living room.

Derek winced and gave Stiles a sheepish look. He stood up and followed Lydia out the back door, stuffing his feet into a pair of boots just inside the door. When he got outside, Lydia was crouched down by the coop talking softly to the turkeys. She turned, saw Derek coming and stood up.

"Lydia, I'm sorry," Derek said. "I should've waited for you to bring it up."

"It's alright. You both need to know what happened."

“Need to know how to gather turkey eggs?” Stiles asked as he joined them. “Believe me, it’s not easy.”

Lydia smiled softly. “Why not?” She stood up and dusted her hands off on her pants. “You going to demonstrate your egg gathering skills to me then?”

“It’s more like running away from the turkeys so they don't peck me to death while I’m robbing them of their eggs,” Stiles said which a laugh. “But Derek can tell you that it’s entertaining. He likes to laugh at me while the turkeys peck chunks of my flesh off for breakfast.”

Derek snorted a laugh, and turned it hastily into a cough when Stiles eyed him. “What can I say?” he grinned. “You really want those eggs.”

“Hey. Eggs are one of the best foods in the world. They don't come from a can.” Stiles looked at the turkeys and glanced at Lydia. “I guess I can always get them later. I mean, unless you want to see me get chased by turkeys.”

“What the hell,” Lydia said, walking to a nearby tree, leaning against it and crossing her arms. “Let’s see it.”

Stiles gaped at her. “You so would. I hate you right now.” He narrowed his eyes at both Lydia and Derek and frowned at the turkeys. “Remember if you keep pecking me I’m gonna eat all of you for dinner at some point. Right now I just want your eggs.” Stiles grabbed the bucket that was used to gather eggs and sighed, then opened it up and snuck inside. He barely got the door closed before a turkey was trying to peck him through his jeans. “Ow!”

Derek rolled his eyes and smiled as Stiles picked his way through the coop, cursing. He heard a small giggle and turned to see Lydia, her hand over her mouth, eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Ow! Stop. No! Bad turkey!” Stiles moved away from the aggressive turkey and tried to gather some eggs, only for other turkeys to begin pecking at him to protect their eggs. “You can have more babies. Sacrificing these will make sure you survive to lay more.” The words didn't help as one particular large turkey started chasing Stiles and he spastically tried to escape its assault.

Derek opened the coop door and pulled Stiles out, steadying him with his hands. He turned around as Lydia started laughing louder. She was clutching at her stomach, eyes sparkling with tears. “I’m sorry,” she hiccuped. “It’s not very nice to laugh.” She wiped at her eyes and cleared her throat, getting her composure back and her face taking on a faraway look.

“Well I’m glad I can be entertaining,” Stiles said with a relieved sigh, the large turkey still gobbling at him through the fence. “The turkeys don't like me because I take their eggs and love Derek because he feeds them and gives them more turkey friends.”

“You all right?” Derek asked, straightening Stiles’ clothes. “It looked like the big one got a good peck in.”

“Yeah, I think so. I don't think he made me bleed this time.” Stiles looked at the eggs in the bucket and then at the turkey that seemed intent on trying to attack him through the fence. “I don't think I’m ever going to make a turkey friend.”

“Good thing you have the two of us now, huh?” Lydia said, tossing her hair.

“I’m guessing you’ll survive without the bond of the turkey,” Derek deadpanned.

Stiles snorted. “Says the werewolf that all the turkeys love because you give them bugs and fruit and other tasty things.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Derek groused. “Anyway, I wanted to check the snares around the perimeter. Maybe we could all take a walk?” The day had gotten even brighter and the temperature was mild, making Derek eager to spend some time out of doors. “I was thinking about shifting to get my wolf some exercise. It’s been awhile.”

“Yeah, okay. You wanna take the eggs inside so you can undress while we head out towards the tree line?”

“Sure,” Derek said, holding his hand out and taking the bucket. He walked swiftly inside and deposited it in the kitchen before efficiently stripping down, leaving his folded clothes on one of the dining room chairs. After he shifted, he bounded back outside to the porch, nudging the screen door shut with his snout, then trotting over to Stiles and Lydia.

Stiles instantly reached down to scratch behind Derek’s ear, smiling. “So.” He glanced at Lydia as they walked slowly towards the tree line. “How’d you like your turkey eggs?”

“It was the best thing I’ve eaten in months,” Lydia said. “Eating out of cans three meals a day is the worst.”

Derek whuffed in agreement, before dashing ahead and circling back, relishing the feel of his muscles working hard.

“At least with the town being as empty as it is, I didn’t have a hard time scavenging for food. That and the fact that the dead ones left me alone.” There was a faint tremor in Lydia’s voice, but her face remained impassive.

“I still can’t believe we didn't find you. I mean, we searched the houses and we went into town a few times for supplies. I’m surprised we didn't run into you at some point.” Stiles pushed one hand into his pocket, watching Derek trotting around ahead of them. “I’m glad you’re here…”

“Me too,” Lydia said, reaching out tentatively towards Stiles’ free hand. “Being alone for so long… it was hard to take.” She squeezed his hand tighter. “Even worse because… I had no idea what happened to everyone.” Her voice had dropped down to almost a whisper at that point, but Derek’s ears twitched.

She didn’t know what happened? Which meant she didn’t know where anyone was, or if they were still alive. Derek turned back and ran to Stiles’ side, leaning his weight against Stiles’ thigh.

“What happened?” Stiles asked quietly, slowing to a stop. “I mean, how do you - why don't you know? I figured everyone would be together, but there’s just… nothing here. Like everyone vanished.”

“I’m guessing it started the same on the east coast as here,” Lydia said. “People started to get sick from god knows what. It caused a lot of panic, especially considering Beacon Hills isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis with a state of the art hospital. Mrs. McCall was barely ever home.”

Stiles gave Lydia’s hand a squeeze, his other hand moving down to card his fingers through Derek’s fur. Stiles fidgeted and hesitated before asking, “Lydia… why aren’t you with the pack?”

Lydia took a deep breath and blew it out shakily. “When things started to get really bad… when people started dying, I started screaming. A lot.” She hugged her arms around her body tightly, footsteps slowing. “A banshee thing, I guess. There was just so much death, I couldn’t control myself. The pack tried to help, but they didn’t know how. Scott tried talking to Deaton, but there was no way to stop it.” A few tears slipped down her cheeks, but she seemed unaware of them. “Eventually, I don’t know if it just got to be too much for my conscious mind to handle, but… I blacked out.”

~~

_There_ _was no light, no sound, just endless darkness. The passing of time couldn’t be measured, an endless abyss surrounding Lydia’s mind. Lydia found herself drifting through this strange state of being for who knows how long, until there was a sudden feeling of rushing air, like surfacing from underwater._

_Lydia instinctively rolled herself into a ball at the assault of light, wishing momentarily that she was back in the darkness where at least there wasn’t this._

_After a few deep breaths, she opened her eyes, the sight in front of her making her recoil in horror. From the looks of it, she was in a morgue, but there were bodies everywhere, stacking in piles like wood. She shakily pulled herself to her feet, the tile cold against her soles, which were now missing shoes._

_She cast her eyes around, spotting the door and moving towards it. A shuffling noise from behind her stopped her cold, and she turned slowly to look. Her mouth opened on a scream as one of the corpses groaned and rolled over, trying to push itself to its feet, legs trapped under other bodies. Lydia’s mind refused to process what it was seeing and there was only relief as the darkness rushed in again._

_The next time she surfaced, it was to a cacophony of screams. She was lying crumpled against a storefront. Crowds of people were pushing and shoving their way around her. The screaming grew louder, tinged with the sounds of agony. She saw a cluster of those...dead bodies, pull down a young man and start to claw and bite at his body. Beyond the horrifying display, she could see a wave of the walking corpses, moving towards the people running for their lives. The man being eaten alive made a horrible gurgling sound and Lydia turned back to see his throat gone, a bubbling red wound all that remained. She shrieked long and loud, before jerking her head backwards and smashing it against the building, embracing the darkness again._

_How long it continued on, she still wasn’t sure, but the periods of darkness continued to be interspersed with horrific moments of lucidity, death surrounding every waking moment. After a time, she started to wonder if she’d be trapped in this purgatory forever, watching the people around her being ripped apart._

_The light was coming again._

_“No more,” Lydia moaned. “I can’t, I can’t.” But her pleas were unheard. She lay, her eyes scrunched shut, but for once silence was all that greeted her return to reality. She forced her eyes open, stunned as she realized... she knew where she was._

~~

“I was at the lake house. I had no idea how much time had passed, but it was weeks at least. I have no idea how I was still alive. My best guess is either my body was somehow supernaturally shut down while I was in the blackout periods... or I was eating and drinking when my body was walking around without my consciousness.” Lydia stopped walking and folded herself up on the ground, back against a tree.

Stiles moved to sit next to Lydia, crossing his legs and scooting close to her, a hand automatically reaching out for Derek. “So they were just gone, then.” Stiles sounded defeated. They still didn't know what happened to the pack, or his dad. They didn't know if their family was alive or dead. They were just gone. “What happened after that?”

“I took one of the cars my parents left there and drove back to Beacon Hills,” Lydia said quietly. “When I got back?” She shook her head. “The only things I found were the Dead Ones.”

Derek whined deep in his throat, dropping his head onto Stiles’ knee.

Stiles absently stroked Derek’s head, fingers digging behind Derek’s ears every so often out of habit as he sat there quietly. “I’m sorry,” Stiles said softly. What he was apologizing for, he wasn't sure; whether it was leaving Lydia by herself for so long or not getting there sooner, or both. Or more. He was just sorry.

“Stiles,” Lydia whispered. “ _I’m_ sorry. I wish I could tell you something, anything about your father or Scott.” She reached out and squeezed his hand tightly. “All I can tell you is that they were alive before I went into… whatever it was I was in.”

Stiles nodded, squeezing Lydia’s hand back and sighed. “I just wish I knew where my dad was. That he’s okay. That they’re all okay. It’s hard not knowing. Sometimes -” Stiles cut himself off, forcing himself not to think that it would be easier knowing his dad was dead than knowing nothing at all. “I’m just glad that you’re here. Safe.”

Lydia laughed bitterly. “Yeah, safe. And alone.” She dropped her face down onto her knees, voice coming out muffled. “I don’t even know why I stayed, but I had no idea where to start looking for anyone, no idea where to go. Just the hope that maybe somebody would come back.” She turned her head and looked up at Stiles. “I guess I was waiting for the two of you.”  
  
Derek shuffled closer and touched his nose to her cheek, lapping up a tear and whuffing. 

Stiles reached out, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and tucking her in close to his side. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Well you’re not alone anymore,” he assured her. “We have each other. The three of us. And that’s more than most people have anymore. It’s enough for me.”

Lydia nodded, before burying her face in Stiles’ chest, breathing shakily. “It’s enough for me too,” she said.

***

“Alright, so. I need -” Stiles pulls out his list from his pocket as he pushed his buggy along. “Some larger planters for my vegetables and we need to get some stuff to build a home for our new bunny friends.”

“We can build some larger planters too,” Derek said. “There’s plenty of lumber.” Lydia followed along behind the two of them, paging through one of the books they’d collected from her house.

“Solar lights,” she muttered. “Lots of solar lights.”

“You know, with how much stuff is left over in the stores in town you’d think this place just Croatoaned.” Stiles pushed his list back into his pocket and glanced back at Lydia, then to Derek. “How big are you going to build the planters? We can keep some outside along the house for the plants that’ll last the winter. It’s not like we get tons of snow here.”

“Depends on what you want in them, I guess,” Derek said, pushing his cart toward the lumber, and starting to stack some two by fours in it.

“Well I think we should at least build a place for the rabbits first if we’re going to keep them breeding for meat. Then we can work on the planters.” Stiles glanced back at Lydia and snorted when she bumped into a piece of lumber sticking out at waist height beside her. “What are you reading Lyds?”

“Well, I know I mentioned it before, but I think it’d be a good idea to work on renewable energy,” Lydia said, rubbing at her side where she’d run into the wood. “We have a nice stockpile of gas, but I’m not relying on that.” She turned the book and showed the two of them the diagrams she was studying. “I want to try to use solar lights to create a solar panel.”

Stiles took the book and looked the page over, flipping through Lydia’s notes and plans. “Huh. Seems pretty doable. We could probably find the lights in the garden or outdoor section.”

Lydia took the book back and snapped it shut. “I’m sure there’s plenty. We can clear out their stock.” She tossed her hair and headed in that direction purposefully.

Derek raised his eyebrows and looked to Stiles. “She seems more like herself the past few days; have you noticed?”

“You mean have I noticed that she’s getting bossy? Yeah.” Stiles shrugged and helped Derek put lumber onto the flatbed. “At least no stray Infected will eat her if she walks off alone.”

“I’m guessing she’s counting on me as an early warning system if there are any people around,” Derek muttered, continuing to stack lumber into the cart.

Lydia came back into view, her arms bursting with packages. She tipped them into the cart Stiles was pushing. “Are you going to help me out with this, Stiles?” she asked. “Your brain and mine together? I’m sure we could do it.”

“So you mean you want me to be the one that possibly gets electrocuted while you boss me around?” Stiles teased and raised a brow at Lydia.

“Never,” Lydia snorted, putting her arm through Stiles’. “Besides, I doubt we’ll get very much voltage to begin with.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “What else do we need? The carts are starting to get full.”

“Ooh, I need to go look for larger planters for the plants we have to move inside when it starts getting cold. Unless you’re planning to have the greenhouse built before then?”

“I can sure as hell try,” Derek said. “But it’d probably be a good idea to grab the planters anyway. It’s not like we need to worry about affording them.”

“Point.” Stiles pushed his buggy, Lydia’s arm still looped through his as they walked. “We should just take as many as we can since we don't come into town that often. I need something for the tomatoes and cucumbers and beans to grow on, too. We’ll have to move those inside when it starts getting too cold and probably keep them by the windows for sun.”

Once the carts were full to bursting, they wheeled them out to the truck to load it up. Derek still swiveled his head in every direction when they emerged from the door, automatically checking for threats. For anything. But, just like every other time they’d come into town, there was nothing. Derek climbed into the truck as Lydia and Stiles talked about their plan for the solar panel.

They made a few more stops on their way home, mostly to get Lydia’s things and it wasn't long until they were back at the house. “So how long do you think it’ll take to make a solar panel that will give us enough energy to run the house on? I mean, I guess we could make several but that would probably take a while until we find all the lights.”

“I suppose it depends on how successful we are at a prototype,” Lydia mused. “Start small and work up from there.”

“Yeah.” Stiles got out of the truck and helped Lydia out, then started unpacking the back with Derek. He handed lights to Lydia and grabbed an armful of stacked planters while Derek started unpacking the lumber. “I think that drawing you have in there of a wood gasifier looks good. We could probably build that first and have it up and running before we complete the solar panels.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to blow anything up,” Derek said, starting to make a pile of lumber next to the house.

“Well,” Stiles glanced over at Lydia. “If we build it wrong it could turn into a bomb.” He frowned. “And we might blow up. Which means we need to build it away from the house.”

Derek dropped what he was carrying and turned back to look at the two of them. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“Not really,” Lydia said absently, still looking through her notes. “But considering I was able to make a working molotov cocktail while I was still in high school, I’m betting we’ll be just fine.”

“Very reassuring,” Derek muttered.

“Well, the blowing up part will only happen if we build it wrong. But we won’t know until we try to light it. Then boom if it’s not correct.” Stiles sighed. “I guess I can try to go all medieval and try to light it with a flaming arrow from far away.”

“Or I could light it,” Derek said. “Better chance of me surviving an explosion or burns than either of you.”

“No,” Stiles said instantly. “I am not blowing you up and I don't want you to get burned.”

Derek put his hands on Stiles’ shoulders. “You think I want you getting burned? How would we treat something like that… besides me giving you the bite.”

Stiles crossed his arms. “I’m not blowing you up.”

Derek smiled, leaning forward to kiss Stiles gently. “Then we’ll work out something long distance if we can, okay? Play it safe.”

“I already said I’d shoot an arrow at it. If you don't remember my aim is pretty accurate. We just have to light it to make sure that we’re making gas and gas lights.” Stiles sighed. “I can’t take you getting hurt.”

“Same here,” Derek said seriously. “We made it across the country in a post apocalyptic world. It would be a pretty cruel joke if you got yourself seriously injured trying to get us electricity.”

“Yeah. I know. And it would be just my luck, too.” Stiles leaned in to give Derek a brief, reassuring kiss. “Let’s get the rest of the stuff unpacked from the truck. We can talk about the wood gasifier later.”

“Okay,” Derek said, dragging his fingertips along Stiles’ jaw.

“I’m going to start making some finalized notes on the gasifier then,” Lydia said briskly, walking into the house.

“With the determination between the two of you, I’m guessing we’ll have this place running on renewable energy before winter,” Derek said with amusement in his tone.

“Good. Then we wont have to worry about it getting chilly in the house and piling in front of the fire to keep warm,” Stiles chuckled. “I mean, it won’t get as cold as it did in New York, but it’ll still get in the twenties or so.”

“Don’t worry,” Derek said, rubbing his nose along Stiles’ neck. “I’ll always keep you warm.” He grinned as Stiles chuckled, grabbing his hand and tugging him into the house.

***

Stiles sighed as he walked out of the restroom, drying off and grabbing his pajama pants to pull on. “I don't think I’m ever going to stop being sore from doing manual labor,” he joked, glancing over to Derek.

Derek shrugged and walked over to Stiles, running his hands over his chest and arms. “There’s definitely more bulk to you than you used to have.” He tweaked one of Stiles’ nipples, enjoying the way it instantly drew up tight and hard. “You look pretty amazing.”

“That’s because we’re eating regularly,” Stiles said with a chuckle. “Not because I’m working out more. I’m just gaining back all the weight that we lost while we were on the road.”

“Either way, I like it,” Derek said, leaning forward and rubbing his lips over Stiles’. He moved back when there was a quiet knock at the door. “Time for bed.”

“And clothes.” Stiles tossed a shirt at Derek and grabbed one for himself.

Lydia opened the door and stood, leaning against the doorframe. “Hey guys,” she said softly. “I just wanted to let you know… I was going to sleep in the guest room tonight.”

Stiles turned to her with a look of confusion on his face and glanced at Derek. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Lydia said, nodding. “You boys have been wonderful about letting me stay in here, but… I think I can handle being on my own again. I haven’t felt the fear that you’ll just vanish in the past day or two. And I want to do this.”

Stiles seemed uncomfortable at the thought of having Lydia so far away, but he nodded. “Yeah, okay. Well… we’ll be here. You know, if you change your mind.”

“Don’t worry, Stiles,” Lydia said. “I won’t force myself to be unnecessarily self-sacrificing. I’ll crawl right back in if I need to.” She walked into the bedroom and kissed Stiles and then Derek on the cheek. “Good night, boys.”

Derek flushed, pleased that she had included him in her affection. “Good night,” he said back, before she walked out and shut the door behind her, footfalls nearly silent.

“Huh. I didn't think she’d want to sleep alone for a while.” Stiles stripped his clothes off and climbed into bed naked, sighing as he pulled the covers over himself and relaxed.

Derek followed suit, pulling Stiles into his side. “Do you think she did it for our sake?”

“What do you mean?” Stiles asked, turning into Derek and resting his head on Derek’s shoulder.

Derek chewed at his bottom lip and brought his hand up to drag his fingers through Stiles’ hair gently. “Maybe… she felt like she was intruding. Wanted to give us some privacy.” He sighed. “I just hope she’s not pushing herself.”

Stiles frowned, relaxing against Derek and wrapping an arm around him. “Well, one thing I know about Lydia is she doesn’t do things she doesn’t want to.” Stiles traced along Derek’s arm idly. “Do you feel like she was intruding?”

Derek looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment. “Honestly, no,” he said. “It surprised me how comfortable I felt having her here with us. I wouldn’t have expected it.” He turned to look at Stiles, kissing him softly. “What about you?” he murmured. “What did you think of it?”

“I don't know,” Stiles said and raised his shoulder a bit. “I mean, it didn't make me want to shove her out the door or anything. She’s Lydia.”

Derek nodded. “I know what you mean. And as long as it’s fine with you… if she ever needs the closeness again, it’s okay with me.”

“Okay,” Stiles said softly. “I guess we’ll deal with it if it comes to that again. She’s pack. She’s family.”

“I didn’t think my pack would be down to only three again. And myself the only wolf.” Derek sighed. “Makes me think of when it was just me and Laura.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll never regret finding Lydia. It gives me hope that the pack has the potential to grow again.”

“Maybe… maybe it will. Someday.” Stiles pressed a kiss against Derek’s chest, giving him a squeeze. “We always did want to have a family. Even if we never have kids, maybe we can have a pack again. More than just the three of us.”

“Might as well dream big,” Derek said, tugging Stiles until he was sprawled over him. “But as long as I have you, I’ll be satisfied.” He pulled Stiles down for a deeper kiss.

“Me too.” Stiles smiled and kissed Derek. He tucked himself under Derek’s chin, nuzzling and breathing him in. “More than satisfied.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If we missed any tags, let us know! :)

Stiles walked around the greenhouse watering vegetables. He stopped at a tomato plant and grabbed a basket, starting to pick the few tomatoes that were ripe enough. “Maybe we can make some salsa,” Stiles said, grinning over at Derek.

“And put it on what?” Derek asked, snorting a laugh. He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, where sweat was beading up. The greenhouse was certainly working, and they had a good selection of vegetables to help them last through the winter. “Are you and Lydia going to rig up a deep fryer so we can make our own tortilla chips?”

Stiles furrowed his brows at that. “And what? Try to squeeze out enough oil from wild animals to fry them in?” Stiles laughed. “That totally wouldn't work because they’re so lean. I’m pretty sure a lot of the stuff we can scavenge is going rancid by now. And you know you can make chips in the oven.”

“Actually, I _was_ thinking of looking for a bottle or two of Wesson from the supermarket,” Derek said wrinkling his nose. “But thank you for giving me the mental picture of squeezing oil out of animal carcasses.” He gave Stiles a knowing smile. “Why am I not surprised you’d go for the healthier way of making them?”

“Because I’m awesome like that.” Stiles gave Derek a wink and picked a few more tomatoes before moving onto a pepper plant. “I dare you to eat this habanero pepper,” Stiles said, raising one up to Derek.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He folded his arms and smirked. “What will you give me if I do?”

“ _Not_ a kiss.” Stiles snorted a laugh. “What do you want?”

“Hmmm.” Derek walked slowly around Stiles, tapping his finger against his mouth.  “Well, if you won’t kiss me… maybe you could put your mouth to use somewhere else?”

“I’m totally down for that.” Stiles wiggled the pepper in front of Derek. “You know, with your werewolf taste buds, this is going to be a million times hotter than it is for a human.”

Derek reached out and swiped the pepper out of Stiles’ hand. “Well, I can’t back down from a challenge now, can I?” He swallowed and started to bring the pepper to his mouth when he cocked his head. “Do you hear that?” he asked.

“You writhing in pain in about two seconds? I hear the screaming in my head already.” Stiles chuckled and watched Derek expectantly.

Derek looked at Stiles dryly. “No,” he murmured, turning his head. “It sounds like… giggling?”

“Giggling?” Stiles asked, confused. He tilted his head as if trying to hear what Derek was hearing. “I don't hear anything.”

“It sounds like a child,” Derek whispered. “A young one.” Disbelief was warring with excitement in his mind. Someone who was traveling with a happy child probably wasn’t too much of a threat, right? He flared his nostrils, trying to pick up a scent, when the smell of another wolf slammed into him and he felt his eyes flashing despite himself.

Stiles stepped closer to Derek, putting a hand on Derek’s arm. “Hey. What is it?”

“A wolf… another Alpha.” Derek sniffed again. “And something else, I’m not sure what.” He turned to look at Stiles. “Two adults and the child.”

“Lydia’s alone in the house…” Stiles released Derek’s arm and glanced around the greenhouse. “If you can smell the other Alpha they know you’re here too. You think they’re dangerous?”

“Seems like we have no choice but to find out,” Derek said slowly. He reached for Stiles’ hand and gripped it tightly. “They would have known a long time ago they were crossing into another wolf’s territory. It seems like they came here purposefully.”

Stiles sighed and nodded. "Okay. I guess let’s at least get to the house so we can be near Lydia while we look for them."

Derek heard the turkeys start up a raucous chorus and more giggling. He looked sideway at Stiles and said, “I don’t think we’re going to make it to the house.”

“Fuck,” Stiles muttered. He turned and hurried out of the greenhouse, making a beeline towards the side of the house opposite of where the turkeys were. “Are all three of them on the other side of the house?” Stiles asked as they walked quickly.

“Yes,” Derek said and then stopped as he heard a female voice muttering. _We know you’re there. We mean you no harm._ Stiles tugged at his hand and Derek shook his head. “They know we’re here. She says they don’t mean us harm.”

“Yeah, well, supernatural creatures and supernatural hearing,” Stiles grumbled. “Okay. So. I guess let’s go around.”

Derek moved slowly, keeping himself calm, but prepped to do what he needed to protect his territory. The first thing he saw as he came around the house was a toddler, crouched next to the turkeys and quietly gabbling at them. Behind the child were two women, holding duffel bags over their shoulders.

“Come here sweetie,” a blonde woman said to the toddler, picking her up and cradling the girl to her chest.

A brunette stepped in front of them, holding a hand up to show she meant no harm. “We’re just passing through,” she started. “I caught your scent and had to check to see if there was a pack in the area. I’m Hayley.”

“I’m Derek, and this is Stiles.” Derek paused. “You’re aware that encroaching in another pack’s territory without permission could be considered aggression?”

“It’s a brave new world,” Hayley commented. “I know the ways of our people, but things are different now. There aren’t many of us left. I’m sure you understand that I at least had to check. We’ll leave, though. Really, we meant no harm in it.”

Derek sighed. “No, wait,” he said. “Are you hungry?” He couldn’t stop looking at the child staring at him with large eyes. All three of them looked on the thin side, possibly from traveling steadily.

The blond women exchanged a look and Hayley hesitated before nodding. “We’re running low on canned food and I figured crossing into your territory was bad enough. I didn't want to hunt in your territory line.” She paused, glancing between Derek and Stiles. “This is Caroline and my daughter, Hope.”

“Why don’t you come inside and we can share a meal,” Derek suggested, gesturing to the porch. A moment later, the screen door swung open and Lydia walked out onto the porch, a bundle of papers in her hands.  
  
“Derek, can you get Stiles for me? I need his help,” Lydia said, scribbling on one of the papers. She glanced up and did a small double take at the sight of the two women. “Oh.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles said and looked at Lydia before glancing at Derek and started up the stairs. “They’re joining us for dinner.” Stiles glanced at Lydia’s papers and back to her. “We can work on stuff later.”

“Lydia,” Derek said, gesturing to the women. “This is Hayley, Caroline and the little one is Hope.”

Lydia raised her hand in a small wave, before hurrying back into the house.  
  
“After you,” Derek said, motioning to the door. 

Stiles looked after Lydia then studied the newcomers as Caroline handed Hayley her daughter. Caroline stopped in the doorway and looked at Derek and Stiles. “I, um. I have to be invited in.”

Derek’s brow furrowed. “Does that mean you’re a…”

Lydia said quietly, “She smells of death.”

Caroline gave them an innocent look, then glanced at Lydia. “That’s kind of what you smell like too sweetie, but you’re not a vampire.”

“You’re a what?” Stiles asked, shocked.

“Vampire,” Caroline confirmed. “Which means I can’t enter a home owned by the living without being invited in. It’s literally a physical barrier. Don't worry. I wont eat any of you,” she promised.

“Caroline,” Hayley chided.

“What? They’re all thinking it.” She glanced at everyone. “You are. I’m just saying it out loud.”

Derek shook his head slightly, his mouth twitching despite himself. “Well then, would you like to come in?” he asked, holding the door open. “As long as you remember that I’ll do anything I need to protect my pack and my home.”

Caroline smiled brightly despite Derek’s warning. “I’ll remember that. Same goes for my family,” she informed Derek and then stepped across the threshold. “So I understand. Whatever it takes to keep them safe.”

Stiles gave Derek a worried look and then mouthed, _Really? She’s a vampire!_

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Hayley interrupted, cradling Hope closer to her chest. “Is there somewhere we can rinse our hands off? We filled our bottles at the stream.”

"You can wash your hands in the kitchen," Derek said, motioning in that direction. Lydia had her work spread over the bar area and she quickly scooped it up and walked out of the room.

“Thank you,” Hayley said, walking in the direction of the kitchen, Caroline close behind.

When they disappeared, Stiles looked at Derek and said, “You know now I can’t even say anything without our conversations being heard, right?”

"Neither can they," Derek pointed out. "We'll let them have a meal, then they'll move on."

“You are so in trouble mister,” Stiles said, pointing at Derek and looked in the direction Lydia disappeared in. “Let’s hope Lydia even comes out for dinner.”

"I couldn't let a child go hungry if we could help it," Derek said. "We can spare a bit. Plus, maybe they can give us news about what's going on in other areas, wherever they came from."

“Child blackmail. I guess that’s the new way of the world.” Stiles sighed and ran a hand over his face. “I’m just worried, okay? The last time we ran into people, well, they tried to kill us.”

"We'd be stupid not to be worried," Derek said, clasping Stiles' hand and bringing it to his mouth. "But this is a different situation." He laid a gentle kiss to the back of Stiles' fingers and tugged him into the kitchen.

When they walked in, Hope was sitting on the counter next to the sink and Hayley was cleaning her little hands, arms and feet. “It’s so hard to keep her clean. She gets into everything,” she commented with a smile, looking up to Derek and Stiles. “She really loved your turkeys.”

"There's plenty of them in the area," Derek said, smiling at Hope's chubby arms and legs flailing. "I don't have objections to you hunting on your way out of our territory."

Lydia came back into the kitchen and walked to the fridge, opening it up and pulling out a cold bottle of water before going to sit down at the table. She watched Caroline and Hayley, sipping at her water.

Hayley wet a rag again with water from her container and scrubbed at Hope as she flailed around, reaching for things on the counter that Caroline kept moving further away from her. “So you have electricity,” Hayley commented. “I couldn't miss the sound,” she added. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard it buzzing in my ears.”

"Yes, we do," Derek said evenly.

“At least you’ll be warm when it starts getting cooler.” Once Hope was clean, Hayley put fresh socks on her and slipped her shoes back on. “We’re heading down to New Orleans. That’s where my pack is. We were in California visiting friends when everything happened.”

Stiles didn't say anything as he moved to sit down next to Lydia at the table.

“That’s quite a way. Are you going on foot?” Derek asked, smiling when Hope squealed and waved at him.

“It’s really the only way to go off-road,” Hayley said, smiling at Hope and running a hand over her head. “It’s safer, even if it’ll be harder in some areas. You don't find traveling on the road more troublesome?”

“Plus I’m really tired of eating people that don't shower,” Caroline grumbled. “These days animal blood is a lot cleaner than human blood.”

“I can imagine,” Derek said, chuckling. “And Stiles and I actually traveled from New York, mostly by road. We only had a few prob…” he trailed off at the pointed look on Stiles’ face, realizing he was giving away quite a bit of information. He smiled sheepishly at the two of them. “Anyway, it seems to have worked for you so far.”

“Thank you again, for this,” Hayley said to everyone. “I mean, this area is pretty safe. We’ve been looking for a place to stay for the winter if we can’t make it down to New Orleans before it gets cooler. The town seems pretty empty.”

Lydia made a small noise of protest that she quickly covered with a cough. Derek looked between Stiles and Lydia and the two women, hoping he wouldn’t have to break up a fight.

“You’re actually the first people we’ve seen in town. Either the town was completely evacuated or there are people out there amazing at hiding from a werewolf.”

“Pretty sure between the two of us we would’ve been able to sniff them out by now,” Caroline said, moving a salt shaker away from Hope when she grabbed it and tried to put it into her mouth. “We found you guys, after all. Unless there’s a huge magic spell going on in town.”

“I haven’t noticed any magic in the area,” Stiles said. “My Spidey senses haven’t been tingling.”

“In any case, there should be plenty of places you’d be able to hole up for the winter. There’s still a decent amount of supplies in the local stores as well,” Derek said.  He moved to the table and sat down next to Stiles, rubbing his hand along Stiles’ back.

“You ladies certainly look… _resourceful,_ ” Lydia sniffed, cocking an eyebrow. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”

Caroline’s smile was practiced perfection as she flipped her hair and looked at Lydia. “Yeah, well, it’s hard looking this good at the end of the world.”

Lydia eyed Caroline consideringly as Hayley knocked Caroline’s foot with her own and gave her a firm look. “There aren't a lack of places to stay these days. I’m sure we can find something,” Hayley said to Derek.

Stiles sighed and leaned into Derek’s touch, his posture starting to relax at the contact. “I should probably get dinner started.”

“What should we make? It’s going to be different feeding six instead of three,” Derek said, scratching Stiles’ back lightly.

“Pasta? Everyone likes pasta…” Stiles suggested, giving everyone a glance.  
  
“Hope will eat anything. She’s not picky,” Hayley said, smiling at her daughter who was watching Derek still.

“Well you won’t have to cook for me. I mean, I can eat human food, but it doesn’t sustain my un-life,” Caroline informed.

“Pasta!” Hope suddenly squealed and started clapping her hands. It was the first recognizable word she’d said. “Pasta pasta pasta pasta!”

Derek grinned at her, charmed. “Sounds like a winner to me,” he said, nudging Stiles.

“I hope everyone likes venison meat sauce.” Stiles stood up, eyes still glancing between the strangers.

“I haven’t had venison in what feels like a lifetime. Well, in a recipe, anyway.” Hayley grinned.  
  
“Alright, everyone out of my kitchen. Lydia can stay.” Stiles glanced down at her and gave her a small smile. 

"I'm touched, Stiles," Lydia said wryly.

"Let me show you to the living room," Derek said, standing up. The three adults followed Hope out of the room as she continued chanting, "Pasta!" in a squeaky voice.

Stiles watched them go and sighed, leaning against the counter and looked over at Lydia. “I left the tomatoes in the greenhouse,” he said, motioning with his head to the back door and started over to it.

"I'll come with you," Lydia replied, heading for the back door.

~~

Stiles walked with Lydia to the greenhouse, as if being far enough away from the house would give them privacy. “So. This sucks,” he muttered, grabbing his basket of tomatoes and peppers.

"What's with Derek anyhow? I figured him to be the most paranoid about letting anyone near his pack?" Lydia shook her head in confusion, gently picking a few more ripe tomatoes.

Stiles rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah, you would think. Apparently his reasoning is he can’t let a kid go hungry, but they don't look that hungry to me. I mean, the kid has two supernatural guardians. I think she’s pretty set for hunting and food. It’s not like there’s not plenty around here to catch.”

"Then again... traveling with a toddler in a post apocalyptic world had to be pretty terrifying, even if you have supernatural powers." Lydia brought a tomato up to her nose and inhaled, lost in thought. "My grandma used to say that having children was willingly transplanting your heart to the outside of your body, leaving you vulnerable like nothing else."

“Yeah, well,” Stiles sighed. “Pretty much given up on that whole idea.” He picked several more tomatoes from different plants. “You know at one point Derek and I wanted to have a family… but that’s pretty much just a dream now.”

"Why do you say that?" Lydia asked, placing the tomato in the basket.

“It’s not like there are adoption agencies anymore, Lydia,” Stiles pointed out. “And I’m not sure I’d even be comfortable having a human child with the way the world is now anyway. It would be too dangerous.”

"If that's something the two of you really want, you shouldn't give up hope. There could be other ways. Chances are, there are other supernatural beings out there. Surrogacy or taking in an orphan could still be options." Lydia tweaked Stiles' nose. "Once this whole mess is behind us... well, the world will eventually move on and balance out. I'm sure that includes procreation."

“We don't even know how the rest of the world is, or the rest of the country. We just know it’s safe right here and right now,” Stiles said. “I guess I just thought it would be different. I mean, before. Thinking about how we wanted our lives to be and now… I just don't know anymore. I mean everyone we know is gone, maybe dead. It’s just the three of us. We haven’t even seen any people other than these women and their child. Plus, it’s not like you’re going to have a baby for us.” Stiles snorted a hopeless laugh.

"That seems like a lot of presumptuous thinking," Lydia said, voice sharp. "It's not like you to be so nihilistic." She brushed her hands off and crossed her arms. "Not to mention the fact that there isn't much I wouldn't do for the two of you, if you'd ask. You're my family."

“You’re telling me you’d chance death and go through a natural birth, with no medical help, to have a baby?” Stiles asked. “It’s not like you heal like a werewolf.”

"Women give birth naturally all the time. In fact, most medical interventions are unnecessary and overused," Lydia snapped. "Do you think I'm not strong enough to do it?"

“I didn't say that,” Stiles said and leaned against a table. “I just wouldn't want anything to happen to you. We’ve already lost so much.”

"Life has to go on, Stiles. We can't live in limbo forever." Lydia moved to stand next to Stiles and leaned her head on his shoulder. "And what if I want to start my own family? I’d still have this same dilemma."

Stiles sighed and wrapped his arm around Lydia, holding her close. “I know,” he said softly, dropping a kiss on her head before resting his cheek there.

"Just... don't give up hope. Not yet."

“I guess Derek’s just going to have to keep it alive for me.” Stiles gave Lydia a squeeze and kissed her head again. “Come on. Let’s go back inside so I can make dinner.”

***

Stiles sat with Lydia on the small loveseat, opposite the couch where their visitors were sitting. He hadn't said much, opting for silent glaring to both Derek and their visitors in observation. Stiles sighed and leaned back against the loveseat, arm draped over the back, barely any space between him and Lydia.  
  
“So, that’s pretty much it,” Hayley said. 

“All the areas that we’ve passed through... there haven’t been any, you know, walking corpses,” Caroline added.

Hayley nodded. “We’re hoping that’s the case the further south we go.”

Lydia remarked, “The dead ones didn’t handle the summer well at all. The ones that didn’t rot away seemed to move one. One point for warmer weather.”

Derek had settled on the floor, Hope daring to get close enough to crawl over his legs. He watched her indulgently, unable to keep a wistful expression off his face.

Stiles studied Caroline, who seemed uncomfortable with Hope being that close to Derek and so far away from them.  
  
“So when are you leaving, anyway?” Stiles asked.

Hayley paused and looked between the three of them. “Before winter sets in.”

“You sure you have the time?” Derek asked, catching Hope as she tripped over one of his legs. He sensed the tension coming from Hayley and gently nudged her daughter in her direction. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I grew up in a big family with lots of children around.”

“I was an orphan,” Hayley said as she watched Hope. “We’re just… we’re not used to having people around. She doesn’t take to a lot of people.” After a moment, Hayley added, “If we leave California we might make it to New Orleans before winter. And we’ll be heading into warmer weather.”

“I’m sorry,” Derek said quietly. “I know what it’s like to lose family.” He leaned back against Stiles’ legs.

Lydia sighed softly, tucking her legs under herself. “I think most of us do at this point.”

“I think that’s just part of being who we are,” Caroline said. “I mean, eventually we’re going to outlive everyone we know. Our family… friends. It’s just part of being supernatural.”

“Oh, right. I guess I’m the only human in the room,” Stiles stated bluntly.

Derek curled a hand around Stiles’ ankle and gave it a squeeze.

“I didn't mean -” Caroline started.

“We should probably get going,” Hayley interrupted and stood. “It’s getting late and we need to find somewhere to stay.”

Derek pushed himself to his feet, his mouth opening, but nothing coming out. Finally, he just put his hands in his pockets. “There should be plenty of empty houses with supplies. The outskirt of town is only about an hours walk from here.”

Hayley nodded and smiled as Caroline picked Hope up and rested her against her hip. “Thank you, again. It’s nice to know that there’s at least one other wolf alive.”

“I wouldn't be surprised if supernatural creatures end up being the only ones that survive this,” Caroline added and went to get their bags.

Stiles sighed as he watched the women gather their things, eyes glancing from Derek to the kid every few seconds. “Wait…” Stiles stood there uncomfortably before moving over to the coffee table and scribbling something down with a pencil. “If you want, this is the address to, uh, my old house. We keep supplies there, if you’re staying for a couple of days.”

Hayley glanced from the paper in Stiles’ hand to Derek and back before taking it. “You’ve already done enough… it would be too much for us to accept this.”

Derek looked at Stiles, surprise evident on his face.

“It would save you the trouble of having to gather up supplies. You wouldn’t want your daughter to go hungry, would you?” Lydia asked, practically.

“With a werewolf’s appetite, it’s hard to keep her from going hungry,” Hayley admitted, still looking at the paper.

“Thanks,” Caroline said to the three of them. “Maybe… we’ll see you around. If we stick around for a few days.” After another moment, Caroline headed to the front door with Hope in her arms, Hayley a moment behind her.

“Maybe,” Derek said, watching them go.

Stiles closed the door when they left and relaxed the second they were gone. “Finally…” He sighed and walked back over to the loveseat, throwing himself down onto it and resting his head in Lydia’s lap.

Lydia stroked his hair gently and leaned her head back against the cushion.

“That bad?” Derek asked, dropping himself into the armchair.

“Yeah, well, you were too busy being distracted by the kid while Lydia and I were waiting for them to do something stupid, like attack us. So yeah. That bad,” Stiles said.

Derek frowned. “You think I would have let them hurt either of you?”

“Not intentionally,” Lydia said. “But you were awfully trusting of them.”

“I don’t trust them,” Derek said gruffly. “I just… don’t have it in me to turn away from helping a cub in need.”

“They didn't look like they needed help, Derek. If anything they were probably better off than we were when we were traveling. They’re two supernatural creatures with a supernatural kid. Pretty sure they can provide for themselves.”

“We’re not invincible. You know that better than most, Stiles,” Derek said, raising his eyebrows. He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to go shower and go to bed early.”

“I’m staying down here with Lydia.”

Hurt flashed across Derek’s face and he nodded, mouth thin. “Fine,” he whispered and turned to head upstairs.

Lydia dropped her face into her hand and sighed. “Great.”

“I don't feel like going to sleep yet,” Stiles told Lydia. “I’m not sure that I can. We’re not alone anymore…”

“Kind of hard to process, huh?” Lydia said, tugging Stiles’ earlobe. “On the other hand… for the first time I have hope that maybe more of the pack survived.”

“Maybe.” Stiles sighed. “I just… I wish they were here.” Stiles stayed silent for a long time, taking comfort in the way Lydia’s fingers stroked through his hair. After a while he forced himself to get up and said goodnight to Lydia before going upstairs. He didn't say anything as he walked into his and Derek’s dark bedroom, quietly stripping down and walking towards the bathroom to shower.

Stiles showered and dried himself without a word, then quietly crawled into bed, watching Derek as he slipped between the covers. He couldn't see much in the dark and couldn't tell if Derek was asleep or not. Stiles sighed and pulled the covers over himself, staring at the ceiling.

Derek turned his head in Stiles’ direction. “What are you thinking?”

Stiles seemed startled. “Oh… did I wake you?” he asked. “I’m sorry.”

“I never fell asleep,” Derek admitted. “Too much to think about.”

“Yeah…” Stiles rolled over onto his side to look at Derek, barely visible in the dark. “I don't want to fight with you.”

Derek shifted to face Stiles, shuffling his body closer. “Neither do I. That’s the last thing we need right now.”

“I’m guessing you’re going to go check on them tomorrow, then?” Stiles asked.

Derek wrinkled his brow. “I wasn’t planning on it. But then again, it might be good to keep an eye on them. Even though I doubt we could spy on them.”

"I just - I mean... I figured you'd want to go see the kid again. That's pretty much all you were paying attention to tonight."

Derek sighed and trailed his hand up and down Stiles' arm. "She reminded me of one of my little cousins. I guess I got a little swept up by her."

"Yeah. I guess." Stiles tucked his pillow under his head some more. "I don't think I'll ever be comfortable around anyone other than you and Lydia."

"I don't blame you." Derek moved closer and gently kissed the tip of Stiles' nose. "I'm sorry I made today worse for you."

"I'm not comfortable inviting people into our home, Derek. And I'm sorry, but I didn't like that you invited them in when you could tell Lydia and I weren't comfortable with it."

Derek grimaced and rolled over onto his back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think and that’s shitty of me.” He turned his head to look at Stiles. “How can I make it up to you?”

Stiles sighed and scooted closer to Derek wrapping his arm around him. “Just… don't do it again, please. I guess I just don't trust anyone anymore. After what we’ve been through...” Stiles tucked himself against Derek’s side and kissed his shoulder. “I think it would be different if they stayed around and we got to know them. That we’d _know_ they weren’t a danger, you know?”

“It won’t happen again,” Derek promised, tugging Stiles closer to his side and dropping a kiss into his hair.

“Thank you,” Stiles breathed, nuzzling under Derek’s chin. “We can go check on them tomorrow… make sure they found the house and that they’re okay. If you want.”

“Probably a good idea keeping an eye on other supernaturals in our territory in any case,” Derek grunted, shifting a little. “Make sure we know what they’re doing while they’re here.”

“Yeah,” Stiles mumbled. “And so you can see the kid again.” He stroked fingers absently over Derek’s arm, trying not to think about how much Derek had seemed to enjoy being around Hope.

Derek hummed in agreement. "She was just... amazing." His voice dropped to a whisper, tinged with what sounded like equal parts hope and despair. "God, I want our own family."

Stiles was quiet for a few moments before he whispered, “Me too.”

"Maybe. Someday." Derek curled both arms around Stiles.

“Maybe.” Stiles didn't mention that it probably wouldn't happen unless the world went back to normal. “Either way, I love you.”

"I love you too. Always."

***

“It looks pretty deserted,” Derek said as they walked up to the door of Stiles’ father’s house. “And I don’t hear anything. Maybe they’re out looking for supplies?”

“Maybe,” Stiles said as he stepped up to the door and opened it. “Hello?” he called into the house. “Caroline? Hayley?”

Lydia followed Derek and Stiles through the threshold. The house was completely silent. “I don’t think they’re here.”

Derek walked towards the kitchen, spotting a piece of scrap paper held in place by a coffee mug. “Over here,” he called softly.

Stiles walked over to Derek and looked down at the paper, reaching out to pull it from under the coffee cup. “They’re gone,” Stiles whispered, handing the note to Derek.

Lydia peered over Derek’s shoulder, scanning the handwritten note quickly. It was short, thanking them for their hospitality and generosity with their supplies, but expressed their desire to be on their way, long miles ahead of them.  “Well, that’s that, I guess,” Lydia said, sitting down in a chair. “We’re alone in this town again.”

“Well I guess that’s something we should be used to.” Stiles moved to sit down next to Lydia. “It’s just been the three of us…”

Derek stood by the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Seems like we’ll just have to keep being used to it. Unless some more supernatural creatures decide to come investigating the territory.”

“In my opinion, I’m thinking anything less powerful than an Alpha would steer clear,” Lydia said, reaching out to take Stiles’ hand. “We’ll just keep relying on each other.”

“I’m okay with that,” Stiles told the both of them. “I mean, unless they’re pack.” Stiles sighed and turned his hand over and took Lydia’s giving it a squeeze. “But I think Lydia’s right… I don't think anyone other than an Alpha would come through, unless they’re looking for pack.”

Derek rubbed a hand over his face. “I’d agree with that.” He pushed himself off the counter and moved behind Stiles. “With winter coming, most people that are left are probably doing the same thing we are, hunkering down with whatever supplies they can find.” He dropped his hands to Stiles’ shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Think we’ll keep ourselves entertained the next few months?”

Stiles smiled and leaned his head back against Derek’s abdomen, turning his face up to look at him. “What exactly did you have in mind?” he teased and closed his eyes, body relaxing in Derek’s touch.

“Remember, there’s an audience present,” Lydia said wryly, the corner of her mouth turned up. “Keep it clean, please.”

Derek snorted with laughter and dropped a kiss to the top of Stiles’ head. “You just can’t resist, can you?” he asked Stiles, giving him an affectionate squeeze.

“No, please, make it dirty,” Stiles said with a soft laugh, then moaning softly as Derek’s fingers absently dug into his shoulders.  

Lydia groaned dramatically and dropped her face onto the table. “That’s it, I’m going home,” she muttered and stood up, heading for the door and giggling.

“Why do I love you again?” Derek asked, tugging one of Stiles’ ears.

“Because I’m awesome, both in and out of bed.” Stiles laughed. “Don't wait up Lydia!” Stiles opened his eyes to look up at Derek, making kissing noises at him.

“Oh, that’s right,” Derek murmured, bending down to capture Stiles’ lips. He cupped the underside of Stiles’ jaw in one hand, making the kiss deep and long, despite the awkward position.

Stiles smiled against Derek’s lips, reaching up a hand to run through Derek’s hair and pulled him down for another, brief kiss. “We’re having our Spiderman moment right here,” he teased, then kissed Derek’s nose.

Derek heard a faint, “ _Good God”,_ from the front of the house and he chuckled. “I think we’re scarring Lydia.” Holding out one hand, he pulled Stiles to his feet. “What do you think. Head back home?”

Stiles snorted. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, I don't think we need anything in town. Do we need anything?” he called out to Lydia.

“Besides ear plugs for me?” she called back.

Derek buried his face in Stiles’ neck and chuckled. “I think we’re good.”

“Then stop eavesdropping!” Stiles chuckled and turned his head, offering his neck to Derek. “Maybe we can hunt today? I could go for some more venison.”

“I’d rather sink my teeth into you,” Derek said, setting the teeth in question against Stiles’ neck and biting down gently.

“I’m totally down for that. But we should probably at least get home before you rip all my clothes off.”

“Hmmm...probably right.” Derek gave Stiles a quick swat on the backside. “After you, then.”

Stiles grinned and pecked Derek again quickly before he headed towards the door where Lydia was waiting for them.

***

Stiles grumbled and rolled over, then suddenly bolted up in bed. "Derek!" He turned over and pounced on Derek, shaking him. "It's Christmas!"

Derek groaned and buried his face into his pillow, mumbling incoherently.

"Wake upppppp. Der-ek.... Come on." Stiles jiggled him again.

Derek flipped his head to the side and cracked one eye open, looking up at Stiles. "Morning," he muttered, voice rough. He rolled onto his back and gave Stiles a sleepy grin. "Hey."

"Hey," Stiles said, leaning down to give Derek a thorough kiss good morning. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Derek said back, looping his arms around Stiles' back and pulling him closer, comfortable under his weight. "Do we have to get up right away?"

"Wellll... If you want to unwrap your presents you do," Stiles said with a chuckle. He grinned and kissed Derek again. "But you can start with me."

Derek grinned back and promptly flipped Stiles over, straddling his hips. He gently circled Stiles' wrists with his hands, pressing them into the pillows on either side of his head, before leaning down and nuzzling into Stiles' neck.

Stiles wiggled his hips, rocking up slightly against Derek and tilted his head up in submission.

Derek rumbled with pleasure at the gesture, scraping his teeth along the vulnerable skin and circling his hips slowly. He sent up a silent thanks that they still were sleeping naked, the thought of pulling away from Stiles for even a second unacceptable.

Stiles sighed and gave a pleased sound. "God you're such a tease. But keep doing that."

"My pleasure," Derek said, lips dragging across the skin on Stiles' neck. They hadn't had a chance to shower the day before and Stiles' scent was heady. Derek chased a droplet of sweat from behind Stiles' ear, the salty taste bursting on his tongue.

Stiles groaned and turned his head, rocking up against Derek’s weight again. “You know we’re never going to hear the end of this when we go downstairs.” Stiles chuckled.

"Better make it worth it then," Derek said, sitting upright and shuffling himself forward enough so that Stiles' cock was sliding in the cleft of Derek's buttocks. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Stiles as he kept rolling his hips.

“Get the lube,” Stiles murmured, wiggling under Derek. “Wanna be in you.”

“Yes,” Derek answered, leaning to the side to grab the lube out of their nightstand. “You want to open me up, or should I?” He waggled the bottle of lube and rose and eyebrow.

Stiles chuckled and grinned up at Derek, moving his hands up to Derek's hips, stroking long fingers over his torso and back down to tease over Derek's dick. "Wanna watch you open yourself up for me."

Derek bit his lip as Stiles ghosted his fingers over his cock again, which by now was fully hard and leaking, the tip shiny where it had started to protrude from his foreskin. He flicked the cap on the lube and generously coated his fingers before reaching behind himself and teasing at his hole. Derek pressed forward with his index finger and moaned deep in his throat at the slight stretch.

Stiles moved his fingers to wrap around Derek’s dick loosely, slowly stroking him. “Yeah, that’s it,” Stiles breathed, mouth parted and pupils blown as he watched Derek arch above him. “Love watching you open yourself up for me.” Stiles moved his free hand around to grab Derek’s ass cheek and squeezed.

Derek’s eyes fluttered closed as the myriad of sensations coursed through him.  His hips undulated forward and back between thrusting into Stiles’ hand and onto his own fingers. By the time he had three moving steadily in and out, he could feel droplets of sweat dripping down his spine and the muscles in his thighs were shaking. “I’m ready,” he gritted out, hissing as he drew his fingers from his body and wiped them on the sheets.

Stiles released Derek’s dick, slicking himself up with Derek’s precome. “C’mere.” He reached up with his clean hand to draw Derek down into a kiss and gripped his own dick with his other hand, moving it between Derek’s cheeks to press against Derek’s slick hole.

Derek breathed into Stiles’ mouth, not really kissing anymore, as he slowly seated himself onto Stiles’ cock, groaning as his body stretched to accommodate him. When the backs of his thighs hit Stiles’, he laughed breathlessly against Stiles’ lips. “Feels good,” he whispered, rocking his hips minutely.

Stiles groaned softly against Derek’s lips. “God, you’re so tight. Feel amazing.” Stiles grinned and gripped the back of Derek’s neck, kissing him and then turning his face to lick and suck at Derek’s neck. He opened his mouth and clamped down on Derek’s neck firmly, rocking his hips up to push deeper into Derek.

Derek felt his fangs start to drop as Stiles latched onto his neck and he growled deep in his throat, tilting his head to give Stiles more leverage. He slid one arm underneath Stiles and used to the other to grab the headboard, arching and thrusting his body. On one sharp thrust, Stiles’ cock nailed his prostate and he whined, digging his fingers into Stiles’ back.

Stiles released Derek’s neck with a wet sound, groaning against marked flesh. He lay back, moving both his hands to Derek’s ass and squeezing firmly, raising his hips to fuck up into Derek. “Need to ride me?” Stiles panted. “Use my cock to get yourself off?”

Derek pushed himself upright, dick twitching as the change in angle shot sparks of pleasure up his spine. He smirked down at Stiles. “Is that a challenge?” He dragged his hands down Stiles’ chest, pausing to pinch and tug at Stiles’ nipples until they hardened.

Stiles hissed, grinning up at Derek. “Yeah, well,” Stiles started, moving a hand to spread his fingers over Derek’s abdomen. “Can’t breed you full of pups if I don't fill you up with come.”

“Fuck,” Derek groaned, clenching around Stiles. He planted his hands on Stiles’ chest and started riding him in earnest, the sound of their skin slapping together loud in the still quiet of the morning.

Stiles’ head dropped back onto the pillows and he moaned with each thrust onto his cock. “God, fuck, so good.”

Derek reached a hand behind himself, sliding his fingers down to where Stiles’ cock was plunging into him. He dragged his fingers along his stretched rim before moving further down to squeeze Stiles’ balls. Reaching for his dripping cock with his other hand, Derek stroked it quickly, feeling the burn in his muscles as he kept up the steady rhythm. “Gonna fill me up?” he asked, letting his head fall back, stretching out his neck.

“God, yeah,” Stiles breathed, shifting to sit up and licked across Derek’s neck. “Fuck you’re so beautiful.” Stiles kissed and sucked against Derek’s neck, closing his mouth on his pulse point. He moved his fingers back to Derek’s hole and pressed a finger in alongside his dick. “Wish I could knot you up and keep my come in you. Fuck, breed you full of our pups. Look at you riding my cock.”

Derek moaned loudly as Stiles’ finger stretched him out even more. “Yes,” he breathed. “Keep you locked inside of me, let you know how it feels.” Derek let go of his cock and reached up to grab Stiles’ hair, pulling his head back so they could kiss, Derek sliding his tongue into Stiles’ mouth. Stiles bucked his hips up and Derek’s dick blurted more precome, making the slide between their stomachs even hotter and smoother.

Stiles groaned against Derek’s lips, coming hard after a few more thrusts, filling Derek up with his come. He breathed heavily against Derek’s lips and he grinned, kissing Derek softly.

Stiles fell backwards onto the bed and Derek went with him, continuing to work his hips and milked Stiles’ cock. He rubbed the length of their bodies together, enjoying the pressure on his own dick between their bellies. “God, Stiles, I want to come.”

“Think you can come on my knot?” Stiles panted, slowly working in another finger along side his dick, his clean hand moving into Derek’s hair to tilt his head, teething and sucking at the sensitive flesh. “Like a good bitch in heat?” Another finger slid in, stretching Derek wide on three fingers and his dick.

“God, _Stiles,”_ Derek whined, feeling fuller than he ever had. He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation, wishing Stiles could really knot him. Stiles’ fingers flexed and that was it, Derek came in a hot rush between them, clenching down around Stiles’ fingers and cock, the pressure riding that edge between agony and ecstasy. His chest heaving, he let his weight settle more fully on Stiles, breath whistling out in between pants.

Stiles groaned softly against Derek’s neck. “Yeah, that’s it,” Stiles breathed. “So good for me.” Stiles stroked his fingers in and out of Derek slowly, pressing them in deep to fill him up, his free hand moving to stroke down Derek’s back. “I love you, so much.”

Derek turned his head to the side, rubbing his lips over Stiles' cheek. "I love you too." He sighed and nuzzled himself into Stiles' neck.

~~

They lay there like that for some time, Stiles petting Derek down from orgasm, sliding his fingers and soft cock out of his mate. Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek, nuzzling against his neck and breathing him in. “We should probably get cleaned up and go downstairs and make breakfast.”

"I'm pretty sure Lydia's already started," Derek mumbled. "You'll probably be able to smell it in a minute." He shifted his weight to the side and was slowly dragged his fingers through the come smeared on Stiles' stomach.

Stiles stomach growled in anticipation and he chuckled. “I think my stomach wants food _now_.” He smiled and turned to press a kiss to Derek’s head. “Want me to get a washcloth so I can clean you up in bed and then we can go down and eat?”

"You spoil me," Derek said. He rolled further onto his side and watched as Stiles walked to the bathroom.

Stiles returned with a wet cloth, already wiped down and grinned at Derek. “Well, you know me. I like spoiling you.” He wiped Derek’s body down as well, then coaxed Derek to roll over so he could wipe between Derek’s cheeks gently. “We should really get the stash of plugs at my house so I can plug you up after we have sex.” He gave Derek a gentle swat. “All clean.”

"You're shameless, you know that?" Derek asked, before sitting up and reeling Stiles in by the waist. "And thank you. For everything you do."

Stiles smiled and leaned down to kiss Derek softly. “Come on. Let’s go get breakfast and open presents.”

After they cleaned and dressed, they went downstairs to find Lydia in the kitchen. Stiles smiled and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her where she was sitting at the island to hug her tight. “Mmm, Merry Christmas!” He smiled and kissed her temple.

Lydia brought her hands up and squeezed Stiles' forearms. "How do you guys feel about Christmas waffles?" She gestured to a covered plate on the counter. "Still warm."

"Sounds great," Derek said, reaching out and squeezing one of Lydia's hands.

“Waffles sound amazing,” Stiles added and kissed Lydia’s temple again. Stiles reached across Lydia to grab a square from her plate and took a bite, then offered some to Derek. “Oh my god it tastes awesome. We should really find some more honey so we can eat more waffles with amazing honey on top of it.”

Derek took his own bite, licking his lips. "Mmmm." He walked to the cupboard and pulled out plates for him and Stiles, piling some food on them and sat down, digging in.

Stiles took his plate and sat between Derek and Lydia, stuffing his face with waffles. “So when do you guys want to open presents?” he asked around a mouthful.

"When the two of you are done gorging, I suppose," Lydia said, sniffing daintily.

"Werewolf appetite," Derek mumbled, spraying waffle crumbs and looking sheepish.

Stiles stared at the waffle crumbs for a moment before snorting a laugh. “I have no excuse,” he added and shrugged, shoving more waffle into his mouth.

Lydia laughed and ruffled Stiles' hair. "I cooked, so you boys clean up after yourselves?" She squeezed Derek's shoulder and left to go to the living room.

"Sure thing," Derek agreed, shoving another waffle into his mouth.

After they were done eating and cleaning up, Stiles hurried to the living room where their makeshift tree was and started gathering presents, handing them out to Derek and Lydia. “These are from me!”

"I'm impressed. They're actually wrapped," Lydia said, then laughed as Stiles gave her a look of mock outrage. She picked at the ribbon and paper delicately, before pulling open the large box. "Stiles, they're beautiful," she said as she pulled out a few dresses. She looked ruefully down at the sweatpants and T-shirt she was currently wearing. "I can't wait to try them on."

"Well... We haven't had a lot of nice clothes and I wanted to get you some dresses, like the ones you used to wear." Stiles smiled at her and glanced at Derek expectantly. "Well? Open it!"

Derek tore open his present with enthusiasm, flipping open the box. "Stiles..." He carefully lifted the leather jacket out and held it up.

Stiles grinned, eyes bright as he watched Derek. "I, uh – it reminded me of the one you used to wear all the time. I know it got ruined in New York..."

Derek held the jacket in one hand and pulled Stiles close with the other, palming the back of his neck and kissing him soundly.

Stiles pressed himself against Derek's side, returning the kiss. "I'm glad you love it," Stiles whispered against Derek's lips when they parted.

“I do,” Derek whispered back, kissing Stiles again.

Stiles snuggled into Derek’s side and glanced over at Lydia. “What did Derek get you?” he asked her.

“Let’s see, shall we,” Lydia said, picking up a thin box from under the tree. “Heavy,” she noted, before delicately pulling off the paper. She opened it up to reveal a ornately decorated leather bound book. She lifted it out and opened it to reveal blank pages.

“I thought you could use someplace to compile your ideas,” Derek said. “I’ve noticed you try to keep your papers together, and thought this might help.”

“Derek,” Lydia said, turning the heavy pages, running her fingers along the paper. “This is so thoughtful, thank you.”  
  
Derek flushed and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m glad you like it.” 

Lydia stood and walked over to them, bending down to kiss them both on the cheek. “I’m glad I have you both.”

“Us too,” Stiles said and grinned up at her. “I’m just glad we have each other.” After several moments Stiles started to make grabby hands. “Gimme my presents!”

“Mine’s actually upstairs,” Derek said. “Why don’t you go first?” He gestured to Lydia.

“All right,” she said and pulled another box out from under the tree, holding it out to Stiles.

“Will it break if I shake it?” Stiles asked, taking the box from Lydia and lightly shaking it despite his question. “Did you get me gardening books?” He put the box on his lap and ripped the paper open, throwing it aside and grinned as he yanked open the box. Stiles frowned as he picked up a thick book. “Okay this isn’t a gardening book.” He chuckled and opened to the first page, only to find the pages filled with photographs of family and pack. “Oh my god… Lydia…”

“It took awhile, but anytime we went to their houses while in town, I snuck a few pictures back. It’s good to have something of our pack, even if it’s only photographs.” Lydia sat down next to Stiles and looked over his shoulder, her eyes shiny. She traced a finger down a picture of Allison and sighed. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Stiles whispered, still looking down at the book. There was a picture of the pack, happy and together and it made Stiles’ heart ache. He wrapped his arm around Lydia and held her close. “Thank you,” he said softly and kissed her temple.

“You’re welcome,” she said back, hugging Stiles tightly.

Derek swiped a hand across his eyes and reached out to squeeze Stiles’ hand. “I don’t know if my gift will top that.”

Stiles turned his hand over and gave Derek’s a squeeze. “Good thing it’s not about outdoing each other with gifts.”

“Come on,” Derek said, tugging Stiles’ hand gently. He stood up and led them upstairs, to one of the guest bedrooms. Opening the door, he let Stiles walk in first.

“Derek,” Stiles started, laughing at the empty room. “What -” He stopped when his eyes landed on the only thing in the room - a bassinet. Stiles walked into the room, unsure as he reached out to touch the bassinet as if it would burn him. “Where did you get this?” Stiles asked quietly.

“From my family’s vault.” Derek ran his fingers over the polished wood. “My mother used it for each of us and couldn’t bear to get rid of it after Cora. I thought maybe, one day, we could use it for our baby.”

Stiles traced his fingers over the dark wood, staring down into the empty bassinet. “It’s beautiful,” Stiles said softly. He sniffled and raised a hand to wipe away the tears threatening to fall freely from his eyes.

Derek pulled Stiles in, wrapping him up in his arms. He buried his face in the crook of Stiles’ neck. “I love you, Stiles,” he said, voice thick.

Stiles was faintly aware of Lydia smiling sadly at the two of them, before quietly backing out of the room and shutting the door.

“I love you too,” Stiles mumbled against Derek’s chest, hugging him tightly. He sighed and wiped his face on Derek’s shirt, not caring if he got snot on him. “It’s probably going to be a long time before we have a baby in it, though.”

Derek nodded against Stiles’ cheek. “I know that. But I believe it’ll happen.”

Stiles nodded, turning his face into Derek’s neck and breathing in mate and home before placing a kiss there. After a few minutes, Stiles murmured, “Maybe I should make a nursery… Having a bassinet in an empty room has to be some kinda bad luck, doesn’t it?”

“We can do it together,” Derek said, pulling back and cupping Stiles’ face in his hands, brushing away the tears with his thumbs. He leaned in to kiss Stiles gently and whispered, “Merry Christmas,” against his lips.

Stiles smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

***

Derek paced back and forth, energy fizzing just below the surface. “Do you mind if I go on a run this morning?” It had been weeks since he’d fully shifted and just let himself go. He’d woken up that morning and the urge to give into that side of himself was strong. Lydia was watching Derek with some amusement, as Stiles shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“Bring me back a deer,” Stiles said and grinned, cheeks full of eggs. “Let that wolfy out and bring us back some meat.” He laughed softly and winked at Derek.

“Yes, sir,” Derek said, sketching a fake bow. Lydia snorted with laughter. “I’ll just go get undressed in the living room. I won’t go far.” Derek kissed the top of Stiles’ head and waved at Lydia. When he got to the living room, he quickly stripped after opening the door, letting the shift roll over his body. Derek shook his head, his large wolf ears flapping against his skull. Feeling his chest swell with excitement, he took off, the wind whipping through his fur as he darted into the trees.

~~

Stiles snorted a laugh and shook his head once Derek was gone, glancing back over to Lydia. “You know, you’re becoming an expert egg cook.”

“Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear.” Lydia sat down next to Stiles on a stool, a mug of tea between her hands. “Speaking of which, we’re running a little low. We should probably collect some more.” She took a sip of her drink and gazed out the window. The weather was crisp, but the sun was shining brightly.

“Yeah, I’ll go out in a few minutes. I can’t help that I’m an egg addict.” He smiled and finished his eggs, taking a triangle of his waffle and took a bite. Stiles was quiet, enjoying Lydia’s company. “I wanted to ask you something…”

“And what’s that?” Lydia asked, propping her head on her hand, tracing the rim of her cup with a finger.

Stiles cleared his throat and did his best not to flush, but he could feel the red creeping into his cheeks. “About… having a baby,” Stiles paused. “With me and Derek.”

Lydia raised both of her eyebrows and took another sip of her drink. “I was wondering how long it’d take you to ask.”

Stiles stared at her, surprised and confused. “What?”

“Well, after the gift of the bassinet at Christmas, I was sure the thought was rattling around in your brain. We did already have that conversation when I made it obvious it was something you should think about.” She shrugged. “I just figured it was a matter of time.”

“Oh.” Stiles shifted in his seat awkwardly. “Okay. Uh, well, you haven’t given me an answer… so?”

Lydia turned in her chair and took both of Stiles’ hands in hers. “I already told you that I would do anything for you. I don’t think we should rush into anything and we should talk with Derek as well.” She squeezed Stiles’ hands. “But yes, I would do it.”

“Well, yeah, of course. I mean, I was going to talk to Derek about it but I didn't want to bring it up if you said no. You know, I don't want to get his hopes up or anything unless I talked to you first. You are the one that’s going to be carrying a possibly supernatural child in you for nine months.”

“There was a chance of that happening anyway, considering I’m not exactly human myself,” Lydia pointed out. “But I actually find that reassuring. Seems less likely for something to happen to the baby.” She put two fingers under Stiles’ chin and tipped it up. “I’m willing to do this for the two of you. More than that… I want to do this. I want to believe the world can move on and stabilize. We need hope and that’s exactly what children represent.”

Stiles nodded and gave Lydia a small smile. “Okay… I’ll talk to Derek later, then.”

“Okay.” Lydia cupped Stiles’ face and kissed him on the cheek. “We have all the time in the world right now.”

“Guess that’s part of the whole ‘end of the world’ thing. No rush.” Stiles smiled and hugged Lydia, then got up to clean his dishes. “I’m gonna go get more eggs so I don't have to collect them tomorrow morning. Maybe we can go pick stuff from the garden after? I’m gonna have to focus on cleaning up that deer Derek brings back later.”

“That sounds fine,” Lydia said, draining her mug and bringing it to the sink. “As long as you keep the blood and guts away from the house. I’ve seen enough of that to last me for the next fifty years.”

Stiles grabbed the collection basket off of the counter. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’m sure my evil turkey friends miss me.” He chuckled and walked out the back door, the turkeys already squawking as he walked into the pen. It wasn't long before Stiles was screaming and running from turkeys in the pen, grabbing eggs and dodging beaks in his conquest for breakfast foods.

After a minute, the squawking reached new levels and Lydia headed out the door to help. As she rounded the corner of the coop, she froze. A small group of Infected were heading right for them. “Stiles,” she hissed as she ran into the coop and shut the door behind her. “Dead ones!” The words were barely out of her mouth as the first one hit the side of the coop, scrabbling at the wood.

“Ow!” Stiles hissed as he was pecked. “What?” He jumped, both away from the turkey near him and the Infected hand trying to grab at him. “What the hell! I thought they were gone?!” He huddled against Lydia, moving away from the edge of the coop as the turkeys squabbled louder.

“Apparently not!” Lydia yelled, pulling Stiles to the opposite side of the coop. By this point, there were at least ten of them around the coop, desperately trying to get inside. They were emaciated enough that their arms were able to get into the coop. One of the turkeys screamed as it was grabbed, an Infected slavering and trying to bring it to its mouth. Lydia shrieked herself at the sound of cracking bones as it squeezed the poor bird.

“Oh, god. We have to get out of here. All the noise that the turkeys are making is going to draw more in. Come on!” Stiles headed for the door of the coop, only to jerk back and slam into Lydia when a hand shot through a space in the door and tried to grab him. “Fuck. We can’t get out!”

“We need Derek!” Lydia dug her nails into Stiles’ arm. She met his eyes and took a deep breath in and screamed.

~~

Derek pounded through the trees, the heartbeat of the deer almost deafening. He was close. His senses let him weave through the trees at top speed, the flashes of the stag between them urging him on. When he was within a few meters, he tensed his legs and leaped, landing on its back. Darting his head forward, he clamped his jaws and jerked, tearing the side of its throat. Hanging on, the deer ran a few more steps for before stumbling and crashing to the ground, Derek leaping off and landing nimbly. It tried to struggle to its feet before crumbling to its side.

Derek licked the blood of his chops before a piercing scream made his ears snap flat back to his skull.

_Lydia. Stiles!_

Without a second thought, he turned back towards the house and started to sprint, instinct guiding him unerringly.

~~

Stiles had his hands clutching to his ears at Lydia’s scream to keep his eardrums from exploding.

Lydia gasped for breath after her scream, covering her own ears as if to block out the sound of the Infected. She crouched down and away from the hands reaching into the coop. “If Derek doesn’t get here soon,” she yelled, “I might have to try to get to some weapons. They won’t attack me!”

“What? No! You can’t go out there! Even if they won’t eat you, they can still get in if we open the door.” Stiles moved to crouch next to Lydia, wrapping an arm around her and the turkeys moved closer to them, still squawking loudly. “Derek has to come,” Stiles murmured. “I doubt throwing turkey eggs at them will do much good.”

“I doubt it,” Lydia agreed. “But we might not have much choice in a minute!” There was a particularly loud thump from the wall, one of the boards beginning to bow in. “Hurry up, Derek,” she muttered.

~~

Derek’s lungs were on fire, but he kept pushing himself to run faster. As he got close to the house, he could no longer deny the smell that was steadily growing stronger. He burst from the trees and snarled as he saw the Infected surrounding the turkey coop and could hear Lydia and Stiles’ heartbeats racing. Without breaking stride, he sprinted towards the nearest and jumped at it, fastening his jaws around it’s throat, the head popping off with almost no effort. He immediately went to the next and dispatched it almost as quickly.

“Derek!” Stiles shouted from inside the coop. Once the door was clear of Infected, Stiles burst through, Lydia close behind him. He grabbed a shovel near the back door and swung, decapitating an Infected.

Derek snapped viciously at an Infected that had it’s arm stuck inside the coop. He sunk his fangs into its spindly thigh, the leg snapping off like a twig. As its weight pulled it down, the arm ripped off and stuck, dangling. The corpse rolled over, and tried to bite at his leg, Derek moving faster and clamping his jaws around its temples, crushing the skull. He turned in time to see Lydia sinking a hoe into the forehead of another Infected, dropping it instantly.

Stiles stuck the head of the shovel into the last Infected and breathed out heavily. “Everyone okay?” he asked, looking at Lydia who nodded and then over to Derek. “I think they came because of the turkeys making noise.”

Derek shifted back, uncaring of his nudity. He hacked and spit, scrubbing his mouth on his arm. Without saying anything else, he hurried to Stiles and pulled him into a crushing hug.

“You’re not bit, are you?” Stiles asked, holding Derek tight, then ran his hands over Derek’s skin.

"No, nothing," Derek murmured. He met Lydia's eyes over Stiles' shoulder, looking shell-shocked. She must have seen something in his gaze because she abruptly hurried to them and pressed herself to Stiles' back, burying her face in between his shoulder blades.

Stiles grunted at the squeeze from both Lydia and Derek and reached a hand back to touch Lydia. “We’re okay.” Stiles sighed and rested against Derek. “We should get inside before more come…”

"Do you think we should move the bodies first? Or maybe burn them?" Lydia shuddered. "I don't feel comfortable just leaving them lying around near the animals."

"Probably," Derek said, muffled against Stiles' neck. "As long as we're attentive, we should be able to catch any others."

Stiles nodded and released Derek and Lydia. “Okay. Let’s get it over with.” Stiles made a disgusted face as he grabbed a body to drag it away from the house and the coop.

The three of them worked as quickly as possible after Derek fetched a pair of pants from inside. Soon enough they had a substantial pile, the bodies lighting up easily.

As they watched the flames billowing, Derek heard some faint groaning. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he growled.

"More of them?" Lydia whispered.

"Not many," Derek said around a mouthful of fangs.

“Think we should go take them out? Just in case?” Stiles asked, looking into the trees.

"We should check it out at least." Derek moved towards the noises quickly, Stiles just behind.

"You're not going without me," Lydia hissed, clutching the hoe she'd used in her hands. The three of them walked about five hundred yards into the trees before catching a glimpse of a small group of infected, steadily moving in one direction.

"They're not moving towards the house at least," Lydia noted.

“Yet,” Stiles pointed out quietly. “The fire might draw them. You never know what will come towards the house.”

"I'd feel better getting rid of them," Derek agreed. "They're just as rotted away as the others and should be easy to take down."

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles said and glanced over at Lydia. “Let’s go.”

***

Derek remained on high alert for the next few days, but things had quieted down again. There were no signs of any more Infected, they had only lost a single turkey and everything had been easy to repair.

Lydia had come to them the day after the attacks with the hypothesis that the Infected were migrating with the weather. Both groups had been moving towards the south. They had disappeared when the weather warmed and were reappearing during cooler months.

Judging from their appearance, she also believed it would only be another summer before most, if not all, rotted away to the point of no longer having mobility. That there was actually a light at the end of the tunnel. Despite himself, Derek felt that kernel of hope slowly igniting into a flame, small but steady.

This morning, he and Stiles were working more in the garden. Their yields were looking to be better than expected and Derek was considering the logistics of digging their own root cellar as he pulled up random weeds.

Stiles picked leaves off of a nearby lettuce plant, glancing over to Derek. “You’re pretty quiet,” Stiles said, tossing the leaves into his collection basket.

"Just thinking," Derek murmured. "About the future. The possibility that this nightmare could be over soon." He glanced up at Stiles. "And the world can get around to setting itself right."

“It can’t last forever,” Stiles agreed, picking more lettuce leaves before moving onto a spinach plant, tossing those leaves into his basket too. He was quiet for several minutes, steadily picking leaves for their salad. “I talked to Lydia about having a baby…”

Derek whipped his head around, feeling his eyes widen. "What?"

Stiles cleared his throat and said more slowly, “I talked to Lydia about having a baby… with us.” He paused, licking his lips and watching Derek. “She said yes.”

Derek's mouth worked, but no sound came out. He knew he looked like an idiot, nothing like a goldfish, but he felt like he couldn't process what he was hearing.

Stiles shifted awkwardly where he was kneeling and looked back down at the plants he was picking leaves from again. “Um… If we decide to have one, I want you to be the one to father it. I mean, it’ll be better because then our baby will most likely end up being supernatural.”

"Uh." Derek abruptly sat down on the ground. "I'm trying to process this. You're telling me Lydia offered to surrogate for us? We can have a baby if we wanted?"

"Yeah," Stiles said softly, looking over at Derek again. "I told her I would talk to you about it and we'd let her know what we decided."

Derek tipped his head back and looked up at the sky, clear and blue. "I want it. God, do I ever." The prospect of a family, of expanding their pack, made his heart flutter in his chest. "But there are considerations. What about the Infected? What about the danger to Lydia?"

"Lydia was offended when I mentioned danger to her because she said I didn't think she could deliver a baby in a post-apocalyptic world." Stiles sighed. "And I'm hoping our baby will be supernatural if we have one. And if it's a banshee then the Infected won't even see it."

Derek snorted a tiny laugh. "Now that you mention it, I'm sure she's been doing a ridiculous amount of research. And if the baby's a werewolf it's pretty much impossible for anything to go wrong during pregnancy."

"For the baby, yeah." Stiles sighed. "But Lydia is okay with it."

“That’s her prerogative,” Derek mused. “And unless the human race is planning to let itself just peter out, I imagine plenty of other women are going to be taking the same risk.”

"Yeah, I guess. But the world has to bounce back at some point and that includes getting everything back that we lost science wise. Eventually it will happen. Good thing I don't get sick easily or I might have died from pneumonia in New York that first winter."

“So,” Derek said. “Are we going to do this?” He felt like he was trembling on the edge of a precipice, terrified to fall, but wanting to jump all the same.

"I want to," Stiles admitted. "It's been over a year since New York... I want to start a family."

Derek reached up and took Stiles’ hand and tugged him down until he was kneeling on the ground next to Derek. He rubbed his thumb over the back of Stiles’ hand, the fluttering getting even stronger. “I want to do it too,” he said, meeting Stiles’ eyes. “I want to.”

Stiles smiled and squeezed Derek's hand, leaning in and kissing Derek softly. "Then let's go tell Lydia."

Derek blew out a breath and smiled back. “Okay.”

Stiles smiled and kissed Derek again before tugging Derek to his feet. And they hurried off to find Lydia.

***

**_Six months later_ **

Lydia tapped her long fingernail against the test stick, her eyes widening minutely. She picked it up with trembling fingers and walked out of the bathroom.

“No turning back now,” she said, holding the test out for Stiles to take.

Stiles took the stick and looked at it. "What's this mean?" he asked, grabbing a random box. Stiles looked at the test again. When realization hit him, he screamed and jumped off the bed, grabbed Lydia and squeezed her. "We are having a baby!" Stiles practically carried Lydia to Derek and dumped her into bed with them.

“This is happening,” Derek said in awe when Lydia handed him the stick. His other hand moved towards Lydia and stopped abruptly as he met her gaze. She smiled softly and took hold of his wrist, putting the palm of his hand on her belly, before pulling Stiles’ arm around her and laying his hand on top of Derek’s.

The three of them lay there, connected by the spark of life in the middle that would grow into a flame to guide them into the future.


	10. Epilogue

Derek growled low in his throat, padding quietly along the grass. His ear twitched, rustling noises coming from his right. He coiled himself, springing fluidly at the movement.

Childish squeals erupted as he tackled Maggie, rolling in the grass and taking the brunt of the fall. He ended up on his back, with her tiny bulk sprawled across his stomach and chest. She looked down at him and flashed her eyes, bright sparks of gold, nearly hidden under her long black hair. He whuffed happily and licked her cheek. “Papa, you’re silly!” Maggie squealed, burying her face in his fur.

“Papa papa papa!” Evie came tearing up to the two of them, jumping onto Derek next to her sister, red curls bouncing. Derek rolled onto his side, the girls sliding to the ground with identical giggles. He mock growled and they both shrieked, taking off back towards the house.

Stiles came out of the house and was instantly tackled by their daughters and he laughed. "Careful! You're gonna make me spill mama's drink." He handed a large glass to Evie. "Help me take it over to her?" As soon as one hand was free, Maggie launched herself at him and Stiles grunted as she clung to his side.

Derek trotted over to where Lydia was reclined under a tree, pillows propped behind her back, sketchbook lying on the large swell of her belly. He dropped down next to her and laid his head on his front paws, chuffing happily.

“Girls running you hard again this morning?” Lydia asked, laughing as Derek whined dramatically. “Hi, babies,” she said as the girls came up to them with Stiles.

"Hi mama!" Evie said, clutching the large glass of water in her hands. "Look what me and daddy brought you!" She handed it to Lydia, sloshing some over the rim of the glass as she thrust it at her.

Stiles barely managed to sit down with a little werewolf glued to his side and laughed. "You want some of my water?" He asked Derek and tilted his glass towards him. Maggie moved to crawl onto Derek and snuggled against his side.

Derek snuffled and stuck his snout in the glass, long tongue lapping up some water noisily. Evie giggled at the exaggerated noises before dropping down next to Lydia, curling into her side and putting a tiny hand on Lydia’s belly.

“Make baby kick, mama?” she asked, tone hopeful.

“I’ve told you before, sweetie, he kicks when he wants.” Lydia ran her fingers through Evie’s hair, before kissing the crown of her head.

Derek felt his eyelids wanting to drift shut, the warmth and satisfaction lulling him to sleep. Barely did that thought cross his mind, when the sound of an approaching engine made him jerk upright.

~~

Stiles was helping Maggie drink from his glass when Derek's movement jostled them. "What is it?" Stiles asked quietly, looking in the direction Derek was staring off towards. Stiles was tense, ready to help Lydia up and grab the kids to bolt for the house. It didn’t matter that the Infected had rotted away for good the summer early in Lydia’s pregnancy with the twins or the fact that more peaceful people had come back to Beacon Hills and started to rebuild. The vigilance of living that year with the constant threat of violence and death was still hard to shake.

Derek grabbed the pile of his clothes in his jaws and dragged them into the bushes, before shifting back and hurriedly pulling on his jeans. “Someone’s coming,” he said. “You should hear the engine soon. I don’t know who’d be driving all the way out here.”

Stiles set the glass aside on the grass and stood up, holding a hand out to Lydia to help her up. "Should probably get Lydia and the kids inside just to be safe."

“What’s wrong, mama?” Maggie asked, already sounding tearful.

“It’s okay, baby,” Lydia said, smiling cheerfully. “Why don’t we go inside and make some hot chocolate?” Each girl took one of her hands peaceably enough and they made their way into the house, Lydia throwing them a wary look over her shoulder.

Stiles sighed and looked back over to Derek as he walked out of the brush. "Can you tell anything else?" Stiles eyes glanced back to the house, making sure Lydia and the girls were inside.

“I hear three heartbeats,” Derek said. “And…I smell an Alpha.”

A beat up sedan came into view and the car rumbled to a stop, the engine turning off. Derek reached out convulsively and grabbed Stiles’ hand as the car doors opened.

Stiles was in shock. He stood there frozen, hand squeezing Derek's so tight his knuckles were white. "D-Dere-k..." Stiles could barely stand there at the sight of three people filing out of the sedan. "Tell me I'm hallucinating."

“If you are, then I am too,” Derek whispered.

Stiles wasn't sure he could move, but he dropped Derek's hand and took off sprinting towards the sedan. "Dad!!" Stiles barreled toward his father, Scott and Allison.  
  
~~

The screen door slammed open on the porch after Stiles yelled, Lydia coming out as fast as her body would allow. Her hand went to her mouth in a gasp, Derek turning back to watch as Stiles threw himself into his father’s arms.  
  
Explanations would follow, but for now, there was only family, pack and joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys! So, I know there will be some of you that have questions and will want answers. Make sure to subscribe to the series for the timestamps where you will get your answers! If you have any specific scenes about what you'd like to see in timestamps (with the pack, etc) then make sure to comment so we can consider writing a scene for it! We already have some mapped out and some already written, but we'd love to hear from you guys!
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading! It has been a journey for this fic and there's much more to come!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Never Let Go (art)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8362282) by [rmn_werefoxes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmn_werefoxes/pseuds/rmn_werefoxes)




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